Abstract
Do It Yourself Assistive Technology (DIY-AT) refers to the development and/or adaptation of Assistive Technologies (AT) devices by non-professionals, including but not limited to family, friends, and caregivers of patients. This paper reviews the potential of Do it Yourself (DIY) and Maker Culture on Assistive Technologies, suggesting paths for the large-scale adaptation of DIY in developing bespoke Assistive Technologies. Three categories are identified through a systematic literature review of 27 publications: ‘Benefits’, ‘Barrier to Adaptation’, and ‘Path to large-scale adaptation’ of DIY or maker culture in Assistive Technology. The ‘Benefits’ were mapped on the critical elements the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified that need to be considered while developing a medical device. They are the 4 As—Availability, Accessibility, Appropriateness, and Affordability. The paper further compiles the barriers impeding various stakeholders in adapting DIY to their need for Assistive Technology. Although various researchers have suggested multiple ways to get more stakeholders on board, DIY-AT in its current form is mainly limited to people living in Developed nations with better access to DIY facilities, such as Fab-Labs, Makerspaces, and personal prototyping equipment. However, this review also identifies articles that outline promising paths to successfully adapting DIY techniques by underrepresented communities to develop Assistive Technologies for their usage and others.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Design in the Era of Industry 4.0, Volume 1 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of ICoRD 2023 |
| Editors | Amaresh Chakrabarti, Vishal Singh |
| Place of Publication | Singapore |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Chapter | 86 |
| Pages | 1067-1079 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-981-99-0293-4 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-981-99-0292-7 |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| Event | International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD 2023) - Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) , Bangalore, India Duration: 9 Jan 2023 → 11 Jan 2023 https://www.designsociety.org/1212/9th+International+Conference+on+Research+Into+Design+%28ICoRD%2723%29#:~:text=It%20will%20be%20held%20during,(IISc)%20Bangalore%2C%20India. |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD 2023) |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | India |
| City | Bangalore |
| Period | 9/01/23 → 11/01/23 |
| Internet address |