About the project
Row-Ro is a custom made half-open glove which is specifically designed for Rosina, a thirty-one years old girl who has an incomplete tetraplegia which does not permit her to close her fingers, thus making it impossible to grab objects. She is currently using a gym object that allows her to continue her passion for rowing but that causes her pain and does not offer a natural grip.
After the co-design session the project focused on finding a solution to help Rosina proceed in her rowing activities in an efficient way paying attention to comfort and on the touch feeling.
The project consists of a partially open glove in neoprene with rigid supports in PLA, 3d printed, which offer support to the wrist involving the thumb and part of the palm below the little finger.
The closing system includes two orthogonal velcro strips, at the ends of which there are two rings to simplify gripping.
One of the bands turning around the wrist allows the closure of the glove while the other, sewn on the upper part of the phalanges, offers the possibility of closing the fingers around an object. On the upper part of the fingers two PLA stripes, 3d printed, accompany the folding.
The final product can be obtained through two digital fabrication technologies: laser cutting and 3D printing. Both the rigid parts and those in neoprene are obtained from a flat surface then sewn or modeled according to different needs.