Dynawheel

Client: William Craelius, Professor at Rutgers University

When an innovative idea strikes, finding the time in your daily routine to follow through can be difficult. A year-long sabbatical with TREAT allowed William Craelius the time to focus on his passion of helping people through rehabilitative technology.

During his sabbatical, Craelius and TREAT staff explored his many ideas through the lens of commercialization. He had more than a few ideas under development, two of which showed promise of efficacy and viability as commercial rehabilitation products. As time went on, it became apparent that the two most promising technologies could actually be combined, creating an even more engaging and effective device: the Dynawheel.

Dynawheel is an exercise trainer, gaming, and rehabilitation evaluation platform that uses smart phone technology. It is a comprehensive tool for rehabilitation of the upper extremities following a stroke.

Craelius’ goal was to create functional product prototypes that could be evaluated by users and clinicians in the field. To accomplish this, TREAT personnel helped Craelius identify and document product requirements, then provided design, engineering, and prototyping expertise. With full access to TREAT partner organizations, including the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Craelius created several sets of refined and fully functional prototypes. Initial response in the field from clinicians and users has been positive and William is continuing towards commercialization of Dynawheel.