After developing this low cost product, they found out it could also serve other purposes.

“Our design process took many directions however we discovered that this particular design had multi-functional uses. For example, it can help with placing a credit card into an ATM, pick up small objects or even hold a small object into place”, they explained.

The pair entered The Within Reach Design Challenge, and won the first prize for Youth Under 18 Category.

The product consists of a light therapy device that employs white Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology for treatment of a variety of light-deprived conditions such as SAD.

The therapist scavenged some wood and a bit of styrofoam. The wood was heavy enough to secure the styrofoam that would hold the needle, using glue and velcro.

“We used a stryrofoam block and we just actually used Velcro on the side and bottom to stabilize it to this wood pieces. That way it will sit on the table and give more stability to the whole thing. We also got a crochet hook and actually just put a hole through the stryrofoam, and then placed some gorilla glue in there
It didn’t take long for the patient to adapt to the device.

The athlete used a prosthesis made out of plaster, which took longer to produce and was more expensive. Using 3D priting, she hopes to have a gadget less expensive, more customized, and quicker to develop.

Frederic, a transfemoral amputee, “always wondered why, 40 years after walking on the moon, it was still impossible for me to walk with my everyday prosthesis along a beach with feet in the water.”

Besides his own need, the inventor had the idea for this solution while he was working at an automotive company. With the help of his colleagues, he created a silicone manufacturing process by which he invented a first prototype: a hollow prosthetic cover, durable, realistic-looking which could be using every day and in the water.

Because these gloves are stronger and lighter than the conventional ones, they can increase the user’s performance. “When you consider that you’re taking your hand and you are stretching it way behind your back and then bringing it all the way to the rim thousands of times per race,” Raymond explained, “that lighter glove makes it easier. The second is that there’s not give in (a custom-designed) glove, so you are applying more force to the rim”.

Billy has the left side of his body paralyzed after suffering a stroke when he was 17 years old, which led him to have motor limitations. But he never stopped doing sports, and he keeps cycling.

Allison created a custom fitted 3D printed device to help hold Billy’s arm to the handlebar, which keeps him balanced and in an aerodynamic position. Also, to keep the athelete’s hand and arm relaxed, the aid has a pressure point near the wrist which works to release tension as he rides, so he can be more confortable.

Teri had a car accident in 1996, which left her with a spinal cord injury, and tetraplegic.

The inventor wanted to be a fashion designer since high school. And after using a wheelchair, she realized she could take action.

Her clothing line, called “Normal?”, consists of fully customized and affordable clothing (including wedding dresses and swim suits).

The kit, called Katie-Do Kare Kits 4 Kids, contains the following items:

-Side Effect Items:
-Tissues
-Mints/Lemon Drops
-Gum
-Ring Pops
-Lotion
-Hand Sanitizer
-Lip Balm
-Anti-Bacterial Hand Wipes

-Comfort Items:
-Soft Socks or Slippers
-Soft Hats
-Cuddly Stuffed Animal
-Soft Fleece Blanket

The gadget works as underwater airbag, and is worn as a bracet. In case of the user being in trouble in the water, he tugs on the bracelet, and the device inflates and lifts him to the surface in a matter of seconds.

“When you drive a car, you put your seatbelt on. When you ride a bike, you put on a helmet. But how do you protect yourself in the water? No one swims around with a lifejacket on, and that’s when they get in trouble”, he noted.

To be able to help Ashlynn, Lamarque quit his job and founded CareStarter, the company which develops the app. This app has the purpose of helping the parents and families of special needs kids to gather information about their condition, such as: Access to local clinics, therapists and other community resources.

“What do I know about helping a child who has a special healthcare need be successful? I knew nothing about autism. I knew nothing about resources that may or may not help Ashlynn”, the inventor observed.

The device, called Tongue-Interface-Communication (TiC), consists of a sports mouthguard, which has five buttons and can be pressed with the tongue. This piece is connected via a Ethernet cable to a circuit board, which is linked to a computer with a USA cord.

Emma realized the technologies available on the market were either too expensive or not very efficient.

"It's easy to breathe too hard or look the wrong way, whereas my device uses deliberate tongue pressure," the inventor informed.

“There was this thing that hit me and I thought why not try to solve the social problems these children were having since I was part of the GISU robotics club. As we know robotics are playing a great role in our current day to day life. That's when I started working on solving their problems”, the student explained.

The arm can be used by people with physical disabilities and works by executing voice commands such as “open grip”, “raise shoulder”, etc, which allow the user to do things such as lifting a cup and food, and grab stuff.

Amit had also created ReWalk, a robotic exoskeleton to help patients with lower limb disabilities to walk. But being a tetraplegic himself, he wasn’t able to use the ReWalk. But now he can benefit from UPnRIDE.

Being quadriplegic after a car crash in 1997, he always wondered why the wheelchair was the only solution that allowed paraplegic people to move around. “I could not realize how come towards the end of the 20th century disabled people have no other solution other than a wheel chair”, he stated.

“It was out of necessity that Jim came up with the idea as Carol lost the use of her legs. At first he used to lift her in and out of the caravan but it became harder. So Jim came up with this and since then they have been to Portugal, Spain, the Scottish Islands, all over. We thought lots of other people could be helped by this too”, John explained.

The solution – called Belford Transfer Lift – became very popular among the wheelchair users community.

Among his inventions, he has a system to people improve the effectiveness of lip-reading, a method that enables deaf people to converse on the telefone, an Internet-based system for capturing real-time transcripts of phone conferences, and electronic glasses that could print information on the lenses from a computer.

Dimitri is deaf since he was three. He holds 159 US patents and was granted the title of Master Inventor IBM in 2002, 2005 and 2010. 

The inventor built a technology that allows deaf people to have phone conversations.

Being deaf and suffering from Type 1 Diabetes, Joe started creating this work gear while he was still in highschool. His mother is a teacher who had surgery on her wrists, which means that she can’t lift more than two pounds at a time.

Joe decided to invent this equipment to help his mother during her physical therapy, as well as other who are limited due to a physical disability.

Dr. Michael Cunningham, one of the inventors, had the idea for this innovation in 2007, when he was in Ghana training African surgeons.

Since he was shocked with all the babies with palates suffering from malnutrition because they couldn’t eat, he took action and created the NIFTY cup.

“I could not believe it,” the doctor explained. “I saw two babies die of starvation”.

The device, made from aluminum and stainless steel, can be adjusted for height and supports up to 250 lbs, being complemented with a grabbing paw that can pick up any object. The handle from is a brake bmx handle.

Being born with Holt-Oram, Donald had upper limbs and his right side of the body affected by the condition, and a smaller bone structure.

Donald had a lot of surgeries during his life. And in spite of his disabilities, he had his own business – auto/truck repair services.

In 2001, when the entrepreneur was in his shop, he was crushed by a pick up.

“When I gave birth to Carlton, my first baby, I had already decided he would be 100% breastfed. At the seven-day checkup, the pediatrician told us Carlton was losing weight, his dry mouth was a sign of poor nutrition and I must supplement with formula. Reluctantly, I became a combo mom by bottle feeding between breast feedings. I tried all the leading baby bottles on the market but every bottle feeding turned my baby into a bag of gas leading to frustration and sleepless nights for the three of us”, the inventor explained on the official website.