A machine currently being developed by ASU student engineers could help people with physical disabilities and injuries recover through physical therapy.
The machine, called the Neurovator, is a device originally designed by local physical therapist Dwight Schaeffer, and now ASU students have stepped in to help actualize Schaeffer’s design.
The Advanced Technology Innovation Center and students in ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation are collaborating with Schaeffer to build the device as part of their senior capstone project.
The invention will hopefully provide patients with better care as well as be a more economical option to traditional physical therapy, Schaeffer said.
“The patient doesn’t just lay there and be passive, it’s making them take an active role [in their recovery],” he said.
Jerry Gintz, a lecturer for the department of engineering technology who supervises the project at ASU, said he hopes to see students gain knowledge through the hands-on experience they get while constructing the machine.
“This truly gives [students] a real-world view of what engineers are faced with today,” Gintz said.
The Neurovator is a total body machine designed to help those with physical disabilities, including muscular dystrophy, and patients who have recently undergone surgery to maintain healthy limbs and a good range of motion, he said.
It is designed to train both the patient’s brain and body as it challenges the body to increase the strength and range of motion and creates muscle memory.
Schaeffer said he came up with the idea based on his career experience as a physical therapist, and he’s constantly trying to advance his knowledge and experience in the therapy field.
“I’m kind of like Benjamin Franklin,” he said. “I never want to stop studying and learning.”
Students from last semester constructed the basic parts of the machine, and this semester, students are working to improve and build on the work done by the previous students.
Mechanical engineering technology senior George Armas is currently serving as the project manager.
“We’re picking up where [previous students] left off and refining their ideas, trying to make it more user friendly,” he said.
The group is working on putting together a 3-D model, Armas said, which it hopes to have completed by the end of the semester.
He chose this particular project as a capstone project over others because of the opportunity to have a positive impact on members of the community.
“It’s something we could accomplish that would help a lot of people,” Armas said. “It’s great to help out by using the skills wisely to help make the world a better place.”
