I want to empower older adults and those with manual conditions, like arthritis, to understand how their hand function changes as a result of aging, and/or the progress of their conditions.
Hand grip strength, pinch strength, joint range of motion, and skin tactility, are the most common ways to characterize hand ability, with the additional benefit of being great markers for general well-being. However, these are not frequently measured, and the tools required can be inaccessible to individuals.
My project aims to facilitate access to these hand parameters by merging custom smartphone applications with cutting edge tactile sensors. As a result, I hope that everyday activities of digital living, like sending text messages, accessing the internet, and making phone calls, will be transformed into clinical metrics that can track progress of hand functionality over time, giving individuals ownership and an understanding of their own health.