Wheelchair users regularly suffer from pain and other impediments due to the lack of or limited adjustability of a headrest. A new dynamic headrest, a prototype of which was built by student Anoek Geers, should change this.
Anoek Geers worked on the prototype of this new head support within the University of Twente's PDEng programme. She hopes to obtain a PhD on the final design. Anoek Geers was recently the fiftieth trainee to successfully complete a PDEng programme at UT.
From the PDEng programme, Geers went to work as a trainee at Focal Meditech, which produces healthcare aids. The Brabant-based company has been working for several years within the NWO project Symbionics to improve the dynamic adjustability of head support devices. This is necessary partly because traditional head support does not move with changing seating positions. , "That can lead to pain and stiffness. Some wheelchair users get difficulty swallowing or cannot look their conversation partner in the eye properly. These are all obstacles we want to remove."
Robotics
Anoek Geers followed the two-year PDEng programme as a continuation of her degree in Biomedical Engineering. , "I worked for several years as a project engineer at an offshore company, but that was too far away from my interests. Within the PDEng, I got the opportunity to expand my knowledge of robotics and get to work on a practical design project. It has been the bridge for me to a job that suits me."
The first year of the programme focused more on knowledge enhancement, especially in the field of robot technology. A start was also made on Focal Meditech's design project. The second year was entirely dedicated to design. Geers studied the current use of head support and formulated the principles for the new generation of head support. She then built the prototype of this dynamic head support. ,,What I did within PDEng, goes beyond a thesis or master's research. You go into more depth and bear greater responsibility. I got the chance to shape the design process largely by myself."
Now that Geers has completed the PDEng programme, she wants to move on. She is working at Focal Meditech on the next phase of the design and wants to do a PhD on it at the University of Twente in three years' time. ,,My goal is to soon have a concrete product on the market. I want people in electric wheelchairs to benefit from it."
50th PDEng
With the graduation of Anoek Geers, the University of Twente has delivered the fiftieth Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) new style since the programme was renewed in 2012. The PDEng is the application-oriented designer in business, alongside the PhD which is trained in (fundamental) science. "After the master's, our trainees want to expand their knowledge and sink their teeth into complex design issues in business," says PDEng coordinator Timo Meinders of the University of Twente.
The programme consists of a number of theoretical subjects and a practical design assignment. There is a continuous interaction between both parts. The design assignment is a concrete issue from a company. Meinders: , "You could see the PDEng programme as a crash course in technical design."
Trainees are on the payroll of the company or the University of Twente. ''We see that many companies also see the PDEng as a great way to retain high potentials,'' said Meinders, who expects interest in the PDEng programme to increase. "We are aiming for 30 to 40 trainees a year."
Source: UTwente
