CATCH researcher Aejaz Zahid and
the University of Sheffield’s iForge Makerspace team will be pitching their innovative
invention at Sheffield Soup tonight.
Aejaz said: “I am working with a team of some of the
brightest engineering students at the University's new iForge Makerspace to
create a robot, the Sheffield ArtBot, that will enable an artist who has been
completely paralyzed, due to Motor Neurone Disease, for over a decade to be
able to paint on canvas again.”
Prior to being diagnosed with MND, over 15 years
ago, Sarah Ezekiel was a painter. Due to her
condition, she had to give up her passion until she discovered how to create
art again though the assistive technology she uses for communication, a Tobii
Eyegaze device, combined with design software on her computer. Since then it
has been her desire to be able to paint on canvas again in real-time. The
Sheffield Artbot will help make that happen.
The project will be filmed from initial ideation
through to implementation and trial of the first prototype with
Sarah. This short film will be used to help promote the
first national Assistive Technology Make-a-thon that Aejaz will be helping to organise
in conjunction with the Technology 4 Independence conference in late
November.
Sheffield Soup is
an amazing event that supports emerging Sheffield based projects, community
groups and start-ups. Every few months, between 15 to 20 projects submit a
proposal to Soup and following a judging process, four teams are given the
opportunity to pitch their idea for seed funding raised through this live
crowdfunding process.
You can support Aejaz and his team
from 6.30pm on Wednesday 27th June at St Mary’s Church, Bramall
Lane. For more information and to register, click here.
Find out more about The iForge here.
No comments:
Post a Comment