Utensil Adapter

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The Enable Lowell chapter has just completed a new hands assembly for a young girl named Emily who was born with a congenital limb difference. Both of Emily's hands are partially formed, forcing her family to perform simple tasks like eating on her behalf. By enabling Emily to eat independently, not only does she gain more autonomy but also frees up her caregivers. Furthermore, the ability to use everyday utensils like crayons and pencils unlocks new creative possibilities for Emily. Her parents approached our team with a request: design a device that would allow Emily to hold a utensil for eating or drawing on her own. This challenge led to the creation of the Utensil Adapter. The user slides their palm into the slot at the front of the handle, and foam padding ensures a secure fit by preventing the Adapter from easily slipping off. The desired utensil is then placed in the Adapter's "mouth," and a thumbscrew is tightened to hold it firmly in place. This design incorporates two commercially available parts: heat set inserts with threads and a screw that fits into the insert. Both components can be sourced from hardware stores or McMaster-Carr. For more information on heat set inserts, installation methods, and recommended sources, visit Matterhackers' website. A detailed design history file is also available, outlining the reasoning behind each revision of the Adapter. The final version was tailored to fit Emily's specific needs. The original Inventor file and STL file can be accessed here. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us at enablelowell@gmail.com.