1st TOM Makeathon held in New York City
The Brooklyn Navy Yard was recently home to TOM:NYC, a three-day Makeathon to create affordable, assistive technology addressing needs of people with disabilities.
New York’s first TOM Makeathon was a partnership with Cornell University and featured teams of eight “makers” (engineers, product designers, developers and coders) who joined with “need-knowers” (individuals with a deep understanding of a specific disability or challenge) to create prototypes where there is no market interest due to prohibitive cost or speciality of condition. Following the Makethon, designs were made available for public domain use, accessible to those with similar disabilities around the world.
At TOM:NYC, Makers and Need-Knowers teamed up to create devices for 15 challenges, including prototypes for a portable, lightweight ramp that will provide greater mobility in urban environments, adaptable tech for weight machines at the gym, and redesigning a manual wheelchair so it can be be propelled without the use of one’s arms.