The Next Big (or Little) Thing?

Last year’s crop of da Vinci Awards winners — among them the Compas computerized prosthetic alignment system and a 42-acre, user-friendly recreational area in Michigan — as usual highlighted technologies that enable equal access for all people, regardless of ability.

The list of 2010 award nominees also yielded some interesting items for home care providers looking to spice up their product selection. The innovative developments in adaptive and assistive technology included a different take on the familiar cane, software to enhance computer screen visibility, a handy doorknob twister and a vehicle modification.

Begun by the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the annual competition has become an international showcase for products that range from the simple to the complex.

On the simpler end of the spectrum comes a soft silicon sleeve that stretches over doorknob shapes, bathroom faucets and shower knobs. Great Grips’ Doorknob Twister (www.greatgrips.com) is a cushioned surface that enables people with arthritis or weak hands to open doors with elbows, forearms and closed fists.

On the higher-tech side is the ZoomText 9.1 from Ai Squared (www.aisquared.com), a software package that allows computer users to better see and hear computer content. The company’s xFont magnification displays high-definition text, while NeoSpeech synthesizers read aloud applications and documents.

Sure Foot (www.icanwalk.com) had seven products nominated thanks to the company’s technology, which provides stability acting as a foot and ankle. Products include Sure Foot and Sure Step canes, and Sure Foot Strutters support walkers’ weight under their arms without nerve injury, allowing those with severe lower-limb functions and limited arm use to walk.

Engineers from Freedom Sciences’ Automated Transport and Retrieval System created an independent means of transportation without structurally modifying a motor vehicle. ATRS enables wheelchair users to transfer from the wheelchair to the Freedom Seat, then remotely direct the wheelchair to “autonomously dock” the platform lift at the rear of the vehicle, and vice versa. Company officials say the ATRS (www.freedomsciences.com) can be used in a wide variety of vehicles beyond the typical vans.

In all, 17 inventions from around the world received nominations as the year’s da Vinci Awards finalists. To see all of them in action, go to www.youtube.com/davinciawards.