Light Touch Joystick

In 2023, CanAssist was awarded funding through the Government of Canada’s Accessible Technology Program (ATP) to undertake development of a novel design for a new joystick that requires as little as 10 grams of force to actuate and is able to connect wirelessly to any computing and mobile devices. This was CanAssist’s first federally funded assistive technology development project. The ATP initiative, funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, supports innovative assistive and adaptive digital devices and technology that helps Canadians with disabilities overcome barriers that prevent their full participation in the workplace. With this funding, CanAssist was able to develop this light-touch joystick into a fully realized solution and make it widely available to Canadians. This project also involved a close collaboration with students, faculty, and local industry as part of CanAssist's commitment to experiential learning and community engagement.

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