Our Projects

ALS Alert System

The ALS Alert System

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a condition which results in loss of voluntary control of muscles and, in later stages, an inability to speak. The goal of this project is to develop, in collaboration with the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the ALS Association, a low-cost eye-triggered alert system for persons with ALS to communicate a need for assistance when their caregivers are not nearby.

Project Manager:听 Philip Graybill听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听Student Project Manager: Jacob Wong

贰尘补颈濒:听 pgraybill@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Antimicrobial Resistance Team

Millions of people die each year from infections by bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobial drugs, largely due to overprescription of such drugs. The AMR team is partnering with the Macha Research Trust to assess appropriate AMR tests for clinics in Zambia. Ultimately, we aim to identify rapid and affordable diagnostics so that clinicians can target infections with the correct antibiotic for each patient.

Project Manager: Larry Mylin听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Michael Collyer

Email: lmylin@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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Better Pumps

Approximately 90 million people in Africa lack access to safe drinking water, despite having water infrastructure installed in their community. The Better Pumps team of the Collaboratory provides engineering support for partners working to sustain reliable water infrastructure for everyone. The team tests improvements to the Afridev and India Mark II hand pumps, two of the most common pumps installed.听听听

Project Manager: David Vader听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听Student Project Manager: Aidan Pryor

Email: dvader@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Clean Accessible Water Solutions

As鈥痯art of the鈥痝lobal effort to increase access to safe and affordable鈥痙rinking water, the Clean Accessible Water Solutions team鈥痙esigns and installs water treatment systems to provide鈥痗ommunities with the cleanest water they can sustainably afford. The team is currently partnering with Forward Edge in Cuba.

Project Manager: Michelle Lockwood听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Candace Forry and Sam Dykes

Email: mlockwood@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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Cunningham Clubfoot Brace

The Cunningham Clubfoot Brace team is working to adapt a novel clubfoot brace to reduce production costs through locally sustainable designs and 3D printing. The Cunningham brace utilizes a unilateral helix, which offers a more comfortable, dynamic alternative to the standard clubfoot brace treatment known as 鈥渂oots and bar.鈥� The team is partnering with , and Jerald Cunningham, to use biomedical engineering principles to validate the efficacy of the brace.

Project Manager: Camilo Giraldo听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Hailey Levan

Email: cgiraldo@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Fluency Assistive Device

The Fluency Assistive Device project is supporting and improving an electronic device that greatly aids a person with a fluency disorder by masking the user's own auditory feedback. This team is supporting local technician, David Germeyer.

Project Manager: Harold Underwood听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Noah Geiger

Email: hunderw@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Functional Electrical Stimulation

Cerebrovascular disease refers to several conditions related to restriction in blood flow to the brain which may then lead to stroke.听 This, in turn, may result in the inability to walk without some form of assistance.听 The goal of the Functional Electrical Stimulation project is to research functional electrical stimulation (FES) technology and design/build a low-cost prototype as an effective intervention for improving gait post stroke.

Project Manager: Ryan Farris 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Adriel Chan

Email: rfarris@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Intelligent Water Project (IWP)

The Intelligent Water Project will improve access to clean water in rural African communities through a partnership with ,听 and by increasing hand pump performance and reliability, while also reducing the resources needed for repair. This is achieved through a remote monitoring system installed on the community hand pump which utilizes sensors, an embedded microprocessor and mobile phone, and cloud technology to create a comprehensive, real-time database providing information on pump use and needed maintenance.

Project Manager: Randy Fish听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Owen Shea

Email: rfish@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Modular Mobility

Many people living with disability around the world are marginalized because they are perceived to be unable to participate in and contribute to community life. Furthermore, people living with disability in hard-to-reach places due to issues such as political unrest and terrorism often have no one to turn to for help. Our three-wheel, off-road, electric wheelchair is a personal transportation device that empowers persons with disabilities to travel to school and work and to more fully participate in family and community life.听 The design may be fabricated by local partners without the involvement of Messiah University personnel.听 We are increasing hope and quality of life by enabling local fabricators anywhere to sustainably produce and distribute our tricycles to persons with disabilities.

Project Manager: David Vader听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Jacob Cruzan

Email: dvader@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Nepal Wheelchair

Persons with disabilities in developing countries often lack the basic equipment needed to assist them in their daily lives.听 is a Christian medical organization in Nepal providing assistance to people with disabilities and other conditions. INF has expressed a desire for a wheelchair that is designed specifically for the challenges of Nepal and would be able to be made from local materials.

Project Manager: Tim Van Dyke听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Jacob Petrovich

贰尘补颈濒:听tvandyke@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听

Piano Pedal Project

Piano music inspires the heart and soothes the soul. The sustain pedal under the piano adds color and controls musical texture by connecting successive notes together. The goal of our team is to enable an accomplished pianist with paraplegia to use the full expressive capabilities of the piano by designing an assistive technology that presses the sustain pedal in response to upper-body movement.

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Project Manager: Philip Graybill听听听听听听听听听听听Student Project Manager: Sawyer Haney

Email: pgraybill@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Prosthetic Knee

The Prosthetic Knee team is partnered with the in Kijabe, Kenya, to explore avenues in which the orthopedic workshop would be able to manufacture and provide a low-cost prosthetic knee for through-knee and trans-femoral amputees. While the hospital has commercially made knees available, a lower price point and the ability to fabricate a prosthetic knee in-country would open up an additional option for patients who would otherwise not be able to afford a prosthetic.

Project Manager: Philip Tan听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听Student Project Manager: Paige Campbell

Email: ptan@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Sikalongo Wheelchair

Persons with disabilities in developing countries often lack the basic equipment needed to assist them in their daily lives.听 Our team is working on developing a wheelchair which is designed specifically for the challenges of disabled people in Sikalongo, Zambia and which would be able to be made from local materials.

Project Manager: Tim Van Dyke听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: PJ Nitschke-Love

Email: tvandyke@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Solar PV

The Solar PV team is working with Rays of Peace in India to assist them in designing and installing a grid-tied solar system with battery storage capability.听 Rays of Peace runs a children鈥檚 home and anti-human trafficking ministry at a location outside of Bangalore.听 The team will also support and upgrade the solar system recently installed at the Grantham Memorial Park near Messiah鈥檚 campus.

Project Manager: Harold Underwood 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Autumn Derstine

Email: hunderw @messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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Stance Control Orthosis

Cerebrovascular disease refers to several conditions related to restriction in blood flow to the brain which may then lead to stroke.听 This, in turn, may result in the inability to walk without some form of assistance, and to the need for knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs).听 The goal of the Stance Control Orthotic project is to research, design and prototype a 3Dprintable stance-control knee orthosis (SC-KO) with an any-angle locking mechanism.听

Project Manager: Ryan Farris 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Laurel Pettitt

Email: rfarris @messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Streamlining Wind Turbines

Approximately 11 million people in Latin America and 481 million people in the least developed countries (United Nations classification) lack access to electricity, according to 2021 data from the World Bank. This is often due to rural and remote living conditions without power grid connectivity. Many of these locations, especially in mountainous regions or on the coasts, have ample wind resources that can be used to generate electricity on or off the grid. The Streamlining Wind Turbines team at the Collaboratory provides engineering support to WindAid in Peru. As blade repair and replacement is crucial to providing consistent power generation, the team is currently designing improvements to streamline blade maintenance. Additionally, a performance monitoring system is being designed to capture a baseline for turbine performance.

Project Manager: Tim Burdett听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Ethan Regula

Email:tburdett@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Zambia Seeder

Farming is one of the largest forms of employment in Zambia; however, efficient and innovative forms of farming are not available to the community due to cost and lack of awareness. The Zambia Seeder team is working with Tony Beers (Brethren in Christ Church) to design and implement a low-cost manual seeder. The project鈥檚 final product will allow Zambian farmers to cover more ground when farming, as well as plant their seeds more accurate which increases yield.

Project Manager: Camilo Giraldo听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager: Max Kramer

Email: cgiraldo@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Land Development Kenya

As Living Love Ministries seeks to rescue and care for vulnerable children in Nakuru Kenya, the Land Development Kenya Team partners with them for the design of a roadway, recreational amenities, and several other site developments that will bless and benefit the children's home and all who live there.

Project Manager: Michelle Lockwood听听听听听听听听听听听听听Student Project Manager: Elizabeth Yoho

Email: mlockwood@messiah.edu

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Sewage Management and Control Project

The Sewage Management and Control team is partnered with Living Love Ministries, whose orphanage and girls home in Kenya currently lacks effective sanitation. Their current septic tank is leaking extensively, putting residents and staff at risk of disease. Our team is designing an effective, affordable, and sustainable replacement system to help the ministry meet critical standards for health and safety.

Project Manager: Thomas Soerens听听听听听听听听 Student Project Manager:听Gus Rouland

Email: tsoerens@messiah.edu听听听听听听听听听听听听

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