Gramma-Jamma

Location

United States
Full Invention Name: 
Gramma-Jamma: An innovative grabber to provide renewed independence to seniors with limited mobility
Team Name: 
NeXT GEN
Team Number: 
780
Team Description: 
We are the NeXT GENeration of STEM innovators! The team is located in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Maryland. We have members from two different middle schools. A highlight for the team was visiting local seniors to test our Gramma-Jamma prototypes. The seniors were so excited and wanted to know how they could get one! Our Gramma-Jamma was designed for seniors, but it could also benefit wheelchair bound individuals, orthopedic patients and others with limited mobility. Visit our team website http://nextgenfll.weebly.com/ and watch our 92 year old senior partner Mr. Bill using the Gramma-Jamma for the first time! Since NeXT GEN’s beginning, eight seasons ago, the team has competed in three FLL World Festivals and one FLL US Open. Our NeXT GEN alumni have been successful on FTC, FRC teams and in college. Several alumni have returned to mentor the current team. NeXT GEN makes you smile with our smiley faces! We compete to learn, have fun, and meet others!
Category: 
Independent
Brief Submission Description: 
Using our Gramma-Jamma, seniors with tremors or poor vision will now be able to pick up small objects with ease. Our team determined that the inability to grasp small objects was a fundamental problem for senior citizens, so we researched possible methods to produce an efficient grabber. Most existing grabbers are either unable to pick up small items such as pills, coins or jewelry or they require such precise positioning that seniors are unable to operate them successfully. Our research led us to the robotics arena where we discovered a key component that we could utilize. We applied leading-edge “jamming” robotic technology to a hand-held gripper to enable anyone with reduced dexterity to easily grasp and release small objects. The Gramma-Jamma improves the level of independence and is simple to construct from relatively inexpensive components. The team has built several fully functional prototypes and has received feedback from seniors that want to buy a Gramma-Jamma!
Team Website
http://nextgenfll.weebly.com/