Assistive Drumstick
Accessibility, Physical Disability, Music Therapy, Fusion 360, FDM
Music Therapy is helpful for many groups, including those with limited motor skills. Percussion is commonly used in Music Therapy, but holding a drumstick can be difficult for those with physical disabilities.
The proper drumstick grip that gives the drummer the control needed to do maneuvers such as drum rolls is highly fine motor skill dependent. This grip revolves around the ability to bounce the stick in your hand.
Assistive and adaptive grip devices currently available do not allow the user to perform many of the skills fundamental to drumming.
The design shifted from being arm strapped to being handheld.
A spring below the hand controls the bounce of the drumstick. A flexible clamp allows for the use of mallets or wire brushes as well.
An interview with a music therapist validated much of our concept. A key piece of feedback given was to make our design compatible with readily available silicone hand straps sold as assistive devices.
With only arm movement, a drummer will be able to use this device to bounce a drumstick, performing rolls.