National MS Society, Michigan Chapter Announces 2008 Da Vinci Award Winners

Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis
Article Date: 24 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter's 2008 da Vinci Award® winners are announced. The da Vinci Awards recognize the most innovative developments and research in adaptive and assistive technology. The Society understands well difficulties people experience when faced with physical disabilities and created the da Vinci Awards to recognize the most innovative projects that enable everyone to participate and contribute in all aspects of society.

The following is a brief description of the award winners' innovative products:

Brake-Well Wheelchair Braking System: is essentially a second set of brakes for wheelchairs. Initially it was designed to give independence to a wheelchair user by converting the wheelchair to a walker. With the Brake-Well Wheelchair Braking System, the disabled, and those who help them, have an additional benefit; they don't have to worry about traveling on inclines or the need to make sudden stops.

Creative Mobility, Project Mobility, and Versa Trike: Thousands of disabled children and adults experience the freedom of mobility and the joy of cycling through the efforts of Creative Mobility. Experience and knowledge of the various physical limitations of people with disabilities led Creative Mobility to develop Versa Trike, a three-wheeled, adaptive bike for people with limited mobility. Project Mobility, a nonprofit organization, travels throughout the United States providing adaptive cycling camps for children, adults, disabled veterans, and the newly injured soldiers from Iraq.

Ford SYNC: offers a voice-recognition interface to receive calls, send and receive text messages and control a variety of media players in your automobile. This mechanism can control both Bluetooth enabled cell phones and Bluetooth or USB digital media devices in a safe, hands-free manner.

i-LIMB Hand: Touch Bionics has created the world's first commercially available bionic hand with five individually powered digits. The i-LIMB Hand is a device for upper limb amputees which utilizes leading edge electronic and mechanical engineering technology to look and act like a real human hand.

KeyboardCommunicator: Afforda Speech has created the first swappable keyboard Speech Generating Device. Individuals with verbal communication difficulties who also need external specialized keyboards (e.g. large-print, large button, low-force keyboards, ergonomic keyboards, one-hand keyboards, etc.) can now have a portable text-to-speech solution without needing a desktop or notebook computer.

NimbleTools: Developed by Nimble Assessment Systems, Inc., NimbleTools is a universally designed test delivery interface that increases access to test content for students with disabilities and special needs. NimbleTools employs a single test delivery interface that flexibly tailors the accessibility tools that are available for each student based on his or her individual need. NimbleTools assures access for students with physical disabilities who use any one of a variety of assistive/adaptive communication devices (e.g., switch mechanisms, sip-and-puff devices, Intellikeys, alternate mice, touch screens, etc.). NimbleTools also ensures that the reading and signing of content is provided in a high-quality, equitable manner to students across a testing program.

Pushrim Activated Power Assisted Wheelchair (PAPAW): Created and manufactured by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, the PAPAW is a wheelchair option for those who have upper extremity joint degeneration, reduced exercise capacity, low strength or endurance issues currently using electric powered wheelchairs. The compact, lightweight PAPAW is very maneuverable and reduces the amount of fatigue while increasing the range of mobility for its user. PAPAW is sold by Sunrise Medical, Inc.

Additionally, three key da Vinci Awards remain: the Spirit of da Vinci, Founder's and Lifetime Achievement Award winners will be announced in coming weeks. The 2008 da Vinci Awards® will be presented Saturday, September 20, 2008 at The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan at a gala event (black tie optional) featuring a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner and awards program followed by displays of the award winners. For information on sponsorship or tickets, please visit the Web site at davinciawards.org or call (248) 936-0349.

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn't. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS through our 50 state network chapters. Proceeds from the da Vinci Awards benefit the National MS Society, Michigan Chapter. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. We are people who want to do something about MS now. Join the movement at www.nationalmssociety.org.