The product…

A Rotary Tactile Stimulator is a small robotic device the function of which is to stroke the skin of a human subject at a known application force and velocity.

Used in neurological research this is one of only a few such devices throughout the world. It is being designed and assembled for Dancer Design in the UK and is destined for the Sahlgrenska Institute in Sweden who plan to use it in studies of a newly discovered class of touch receptors in the skin.

The project...

Paragon Design has been employed to develop, design and assemble the complete unit. In addition to fairly specific functional requirements it needs to be as small and light as possible for ease of use and positioning on body sites. Also for there to be easy access to all the key components enabling local technicians to undertake maintenance and updates without Dancer Design having to visit the site or the unit having to be returned to the UK.

The solution...

A small number of the components will be proprietary, a servo motor, translation stage and load cells; the rigid chassis around which the unit is based uses modular aluminium parts.

The majority of the other components will also be aluminium, a combination of sheet metal fabrications and machined parts; particular attention has been paid to their design to ensure that for their production no specialist tooling is required - not feasible for what is initially a one off build.