+MANI project - PiuMani
Codesigned products for and with people with rheumatic diseases
- 📅 · Period:
Nov 2021 - Apr 2022; June 2022 – May 2023 💰 · Funding:
Funded research contract, Fausti ZPT.🏛 · Coordinator:
Politecnico di Milano, Italy🤝 · Partners:
2 academic/industrial institutions and 1 regional/national patient associations, Italy⭐ · My Role:
Research fellow🏫 · My Affiliation:
Research fellow, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano (Italy)🏷️ · Keywords:
Codesign, Assistive technology, Customization, 3D printing, Rheumatic diseases, Arthritis, Social sustainability, Assistive aid, Parametric design.
Overview
+MANI — PiùMani (More Hands — More Human) is a research project funded by Fausti ZPT and carried out at +LAB, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, coordinated by Prof. Marinella Levi, in collaboration with ALOMAR Onlus (Associazione Lombarda Malati Reumatici). Following a co-design approach supported by 3D printing, the project aimed to develop new assistive products for people with rheumatic diseases through hybrid co-design workshops, conducted both in-person and online, involving patient co-designers, occupational therapists, and the industrial partner. The project resulted in two assistive products: Battito ("Beat"), a customizable writing aid designed to facilitate tracing, writing, drawing, and signing activities for people with limited hand grip, released as an open-source 3D-printable device, and a second product, currently under development as an injection-molded proprietary option. Together, they aim to extend codesign for a wider audience toward (i) open-source distribution of selected outputs through customization, parametric design, and low-cost 3D printing, and (ii) codesign for commercial product development through injection molding engineering.
+LAB Team: Marinella Levi, Alessia Romani, Davide Ferrari
Fausti ZPT: Stefano Fausti, Valerio Fausti
Codesigners: Roberta Baldassin, Emanuela Brambilla, Antonella Mantegazza, MariaGrazia Pisu, Giovanna Raimondi, Laura Sassi, Carla Serati, Bianca Petrucci
Hackathon Team: Francesco Basciu, Valerio Fausti, Andrea Mantelli, Gabriele Natale, Davide Pecchini, Fabio Prestini, Giuditta Ravalli, Alessia Romani
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My contribution:
- Co-design: Led co-design workshops with patient co-designers from ALOMAR and Fausti ZPT; responsible for data collection, session reporting, and documentation. Organized the Hackaton activity with makers and designers.
- Product design: concept development, design, and iterative prototyping of new assistive products for people with rheumatic diseases; coordinated contextual testing with co-designers during dedicated workshops.
- Additive manufacturing: Prototyped and fabricated product variants using low-cost Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing; managed material selection and process optimization.
- Parametric design & online customization: Developed parametric definitions in Rhinoceros/Grasshopper and sizing systems for selected products (Battito - Beat)
- Graphics & visual: Designed graphic materials for all documentation and questionnaire/test phase (tags - instructions).
- Dissemination: Technical reporting to project partners and presentations.
Research and dissemination output connected to my work
- ⚙️ Technology Transfer: 1 on OSF, Shapediver online configurators of the customizable parts.
- 📢 Dissemination & outreach: Work presented at community outreach events, such as TIUPAC Global Women's Breakfast @Polimi 2024.
Online configurators
- Romani A (2022) Battito - Customization. Online configurator. ShapeDiver.
Technology transfer repositories
- Romani A, Fausti V, Ferrari D, Levi M (2025) Battito: Open Source 3D Printable Customizable Writing Aid Tool. OSF. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MWS8K