Latest updates from IO DO UNA MANO (I GIVE A HAND)

We would like to present the latest news on the activities of IO DO UNA MANO (I GIVE A HAND), a non-profit of which Scuola di Robotica is, with other organisations, a Founding Partner, that helps people with differences, congenital or acquired, in the upper limbs. Children’s prostheses require replacement every 12-18 months, to accommodate the natural development of the body: this requirement makes them very expensive and often difficult for families to access.

IO DO UNA MANO (I GIVE A HAND) coordinates, with the help of makers specialised in 3D modelling and printing techniques, the production and free distribution of customised devices that accompany the early stages of a child’s growth and encourage the use of aids (mechanical and non-mechanical) and their technological evolution from childhood onwards.

The association is also involved in the design of specific functional devices, conceived and realised in total synergy with the adults who request them and used to carry out certain actions (e.g. working, eating, dressing, etc.).

Through dissemination events, columns on the association’s social networks and targeted communication plans, IO DO UNA MANO (I GIVE A HAND)is committed to explain  how high-level technologies, apparently far removed from everyday life, can be used to have a positive impact on people’s lives and represent valuable tools for the good of the community.

For more information on IO DO UNA MANO: https://www.iodounamano.org/

Laura

Here is a brief history of the relationship between Laura and IO DO UNA MANO, see the project Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Iodounamano/)

“We got to know Laura through social media, when she contacted us for a customised aid.
We were immediately struck by the photos on her profile, showing her engaged in a sport that is as fascinating as it is complex: climbing.
Our devices are not suitable for holding heavy objects or withstanding excessive strain and stress, but Laura did not ask us for a climbing aid, a discipline to which she devotes herself freely, with contagious enthusiasm and without any support.
This is how it went. We developed a device just for Laura… and here is Laura”.

“Today we are happy to share with you the video of the delivery of the aid we made for Laura!
Working with Laura was quite a challenge, both technically and aesthetically.
We designed and modelled a device that would exclude mobilisation of the fingers and provide good resistance, while being perforated and breathable.
The hand is attached with a screw system and the colour chosen by Laura is a gutsy total black just like her!
Also (and above all) in this case, the discussion with the recipient and the continuous exchange of ideas and suggestions were fundamental in obtaining a satisfactory result, because it is both beautiful and functional at the same time.”