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t m c » p u l s e | j u n e 2 0 1 4 26 to inform a nearby computer, tablet or other Bluetooth-enabled device of how the cylinder is moving through space. In tandem with a board that directs the patient's movements, the cylinder sends a steady stream of data to the computer. That data is analyzed by the design team's software to give a therapist a clear picture of a patient's progress in occupational therapy. The DeXcellence device is the work of five Rice seniors who designed it at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen as their capstone project in collaboration with Shriners Hospital for Children, Houston, and Rice advisers Gary Woods, a professor in the prac- tice of computer technology in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Eric Richardson, a lecturer in bioengineering. A synthesis of high and low tech- nology, the Rice students' efforts would complement the device that inspired them, a therapeutic evaluation tool known as a Functional Dexterity Test (FDT). A simple, low-tech pegboard that only quantifies the speed of hand dexterity, the FDT doesn't provide any data about the patient's quality or fluid- ity of movement. Gloria Gogola, M.D., O n one side of the board, patients are tasked to move a small peg, comfortable enough for a 3-year-old to hold, over a hurdle and center it on the bulls-eye shaped target. On the flip side is a set of paths that the patient tracks with the peg, tracing across designs and shapes reminiscent of a coloring book. In spite of an exterior that resembles a game board rather than a clinical evaluation tool, there's some serious intent behind a device designed by Rice University students to test the abilities of cerebral palsy patients. At the heart of the DeXcellence platform is a simple peg—packed inside, there are enough electronics pediatric upper extremity surgeon at Shriners, who has worked with Rice's engineering program for several years, suggested that the team look into ways to quantify movement. "There's a huge gap in technology for the evaluation of movement pat- terns in [patients with] cerebral palsy," explained Gogola. "At one end, we have clinical exams that are all visual, even relying on videotape exams to catch more subtle movements. The next step up in technology is Shriners' high-tech motion analysis lab. This project aims for something in the middle—the peg the patient moves through the test provides a phenomenal output of data. They put a whole motion analysis lab in a peg!" "There's nothing comparable that we encountered," said electrical and computer engineering major Vivaswath Kumar, a member of the team along with Sonia Garcia (bioengineering), Shaurya Agarwal (mechanical engi- neering), Allison Garza (mechanical engineering) and Andrew Schober (bioengineering and computational and applied mathematics). "The DeXcellence device com- pletely reimagines the way that pegs Game On high-tech peg Measures cerebral palsy patients' dexterity B y A l e x O r l a n d o this device could be used in any situation where dexterity, or the fine motor movements of the hand, needs to be tested. the ultimate goal is to better understand these disease processes so we can better understand and treat our patients. — gloria gogola, M.d. pediatric upper extremity surgeon at shriners hospital for children LEFT AND FAR RIGHT: The DeXcellence device, invented by senior engineering students at Rice University, tracks the dexterity of cerebral palsy patients through their ability to move a Bluetooth-enabled cylinder through a series of tasks. MIDDLE: Sonia Garcia, a senior at Rice University, guides Brandon Sierra, a patient at Shriners Hospital for Children, Houston, through tasks intended to measure his dex- terity. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)