Clemson University, $5,000
Upper-arm tremors can be particularly disabling, making simple tasks such as writing and eating difficult. Presently, upper-arm tremor patients are limited to passive restrictive braces, neurosurgery, or dependence on medications as treatment options. This team is developing a tremor-reducing wrist brace that uses small frictional pistons to reduce unintentional movement and give patients the ability to perform fine motor tasks. The brace is a lightweight, non-powered, flexible, low-cost, medication-free solution. Tests have demonstrated effective tremor amplitude reductions of over 70%.