If you’ve come across this website, there’s a good chance that you might be interested in some of the other applications for technology in occupational therapy. While developing this website, I came across a few others that might be of interest.
Laser Cutting and Engraving
If you have access to a local Makerspace, there’s a good chance that you have access to a laser engraver. The process of learning to use a laser engraver might vary slightly depending on the manufacturer of the laser that you are using. For example, the Glowforge lasers use a software and app system that is specific to their product, while many generic lasers can use a program called Lightburn. I’ve put together a few resources and example projects below to start you off.
Makers Making Change Laser Projects
Excellent resource for those looking for ideas and applications for a laser in their practice.
3d Scanning and Photogrammetry
Depending on the work you plan of doing with a 3d printer, the option create 3d models from real life may be very appealing. There are different kinds of 3d scanners available, using a variety of technologies to produce results. Unfortunately at the time of writing, there is a definite paywall involved in achieving quality, consistent scans. Options range from free to use apps for your phone (warning that many of these apps will charge you to export your files) to $500 dollar scanners to $20,000 dollar scanners.
If you are looking for options that don’t break the bank, many newer phones will have LiDAR technology built into their camera functions, which enables you to take decent quality scans, with a variety of apps being available. Another option is the use of a process called photogrammetry. This process entails taking a variety of pictures from varying angles and then having a program process the different angles to produce a 3d file. While this process will likely entail using both a phone and a computer, it is the most cost effective method that I have come across so far. I have linked a video here that serves as a general introduction to a good photogrammetry software called Meshroom. There are apps that use photogrammetry to create 3d models, but I have yet to find one that produces the results that I would expect.
Soldering and Electronics
This category isn’t something that I came into this project with much knowledge of. Quite frankly, I was a bit scared of working with electronics. It wasn’t until I found some of the guides through Makers Making Change that I decided to dive into projects. If you’ve ever worked with switches before, you know that they can be a bit finicky and very expensive.
If you are looking to start somewhere, I would highly recommend following the pdf visual guide from the ‘light touch switch’. It’s a great introduction to the process, and I was able to make quite a few for under $10 in materials and ~$15 in reusable tools. The other small switches on their website are great starters as well. One tip, be sure to purchase mono speaker cable, as stereo cable will not work.
If you would like a more in depth guide on learning to solder, I highly recommend this video as an introduction, it answered quite a few of the questions that I had about the process.