Ronal Infante Transdisciplinary Design Lead
Digital / Physical / Service

On average, therapy for an elbow fracture or dislocation will involve 2 sets of 10 flexion/extension holds three times per day for 4 weeks. Elbow angles are measured by a therapist using a goniometer.

While at Texas Children’s Hospital, I observed a need for:

• A replacement for the goniometer, which requires children to stay still
• Accurate elbow angle measurement for at-home therapy
• Data tracking to ensure therapy adherence
• A fun experience that redefines this painful therapy

I explored multiple curved shapes and arm placements then 3D printed and assembled two versions before ultimately deciding the final prototype design.

The longitudinal design was chosen over the two radial designs because its slimmer profile was better suited to house the flat internal components.

In order for therapists to monitor their patients remotely, a complementary app was designed to track therapy duration, set therapy goals, and output music.

The main peripheral device was designed specifically for a child. Designing the app provided an opportunity to extend the main use case and to analyze an entire system.

Three key use cases emerged. User flows and wireframes were created to address each user’s tasks.

Bold, playful, and kitschy.

The visual language of the app aligns with the industrial design and the overall creative direction.

The project was completed in one semester (4 months). Therefore, both the interaction and industrial designs are not final.

In order to ensure that user needs are being met, user testing and additional refinement must occur.