Look: Dubai schoolgirl designed a robotic sleeve to help her neurological condition

A young Dubai-based Emirati schoolgirl has designed the prototype of a robotic sleeve that will help deal with her neurological condition.

Najah Bayan, with the help of her science teacher Yasmin, has designed a special sleeve that will help her to use her left hand which has limited capabilities due to a birth defect.

Her prototype is on display at the Dubai Police stand at the 5th edition of the AccessAbilities Expo that kicked off in Dubai on Monday. “First I designed a robotic arm and a glove,” she said, speaking to Khaleej Times. “I could wear the glove on my right hand which works perfectly and then mirror it to use my left hand in the same way.”

However, the student figured out that the robotic arm was cumbersome and could not be used regularly. “That is when we designed the prototype of the robotic sleeve,” said her teacher, Yasmin. “This sleeve has sensors and is linked to an earpiece which is connected to the brain sensors for movement.”

Yasmin said that she and Najah are hopeful that someone will be able to develop a working model of their prototype. “If someone coming to the expo can design it and support her, it would change her life forever because surgery for this condition is very difficult with a very low chance at success,” she said.

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In addition to Najah’s, there were several other projects designed by her classmates from the Hemaya school for girls cycle 1 and 2 including a sensor device for the blind that would alert them about obstacles in their way.

Sensory ambulance

A first-of-its-kind ambulance with sensory equipment has been unveiled by the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS). The ambulance which caters to those with autism, down syndrome, ADHD and other people of determination (POD) was also on display at expo.

“The ambulance caters to people of determination,” said Zaid Al Marmari, head POD team at the DCAS. “It comes with special lights and other equipment that will help them stay calm.”

A special water-filled machine at one end of the ambulance releases bubbles when touched. “This is very calming to the sight of those who get a sensory overload,” said Zaid. He also demonstrated a string of lights in different colours. “People of determination like to put these around their neck to relax and calm down,” he said.

One wall of the ambulance is covered with colourful, interactive installations of various textures. According to Zaid, people with autism often use their hands to explore and understand the world around them and the wall would distract them while they are inside the ambulance.”

The setting inside the ambulance is meant to calm the stress and anxiety of POD during hyperactivity by attracting their sense of sight, hearing and touch. In addition, this will improve the communication between healthcare providers and PODs during times of crisis, according to DCAS.

As of now, there is only one such ambulance in the country. “If we see an increase in demand, we will consider rolling out more such ambulances,” he said.

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