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HardwareAssistiveBiomedical

Self-Stabilizing Spork

One of my first projects: an adaptive spork for people with Parkinson's who experience hand tremors, built with a Circuit Playground, servo motors, and a 3D-designed spoon attachment.

Overview

One of my first projects that made me fall in love with the design process and building. I developed a self-stabilizing spork that counters hand tremors so the utensil stays more level while eating. The system uses gyroscope data from a Circuit Playground to control the rotation of servo motors attached to a custon made 3D-printed spork.

Design

The early design sketch used a two-joint method so the spoon could move on both axes, with the Circuit Playground and battery placed nearer the wrist to keep weight from interfering with use.

Final design sketch of the adaptive self-stabilizing spoon with labeled Circuit Playground, battery case, and two-joint mechanism

First prototype design sketch

Prototype

I built a working mock prototype with servo motors, the Circuit Playground, and a 3D-printed spoon attachment.

Self-stabilizing spoon prototype with Circuit Playground, servos, and 3D-printed spoon
Holding the self-stabilizing spoon prototype

Code

Python on the Circuit Playground reads accelerometer and gyroscope data, smooths the readings, and maps them to servo angles so the motors keep the spork upright as the wrist moves.

Python code using Circuit Playground gyroscope data to control servo motors

CircuitPython code controlling servo rotation from sensor data

Technical details

Adafruit Circuit Playground Express · servo motors · 3D-designed spork attachment · CircuitPython · gyroscope / accelerometer stabilization.