Nutrient: A Novel Approach to Assistive Devices for Articulation Disorders

NTUB CTPD's Innovative Design Combines Functionality and Playfulness

Articulation disorders, if not corrected during the crucial golden years of treatment (4-6 years old), can affect a child's life permanently. With a severe shortage of medical resources and speech-language pathologists in Taiwan, the need for effective assistive devices is more pressing than ever. Recognizing this, NTUB CTPD has created Nutrient, an assistive device that uses the shapes of fruits and vegetables as the foundation, transforming the traditionally cold feeling of assistive products into a vibrant and interesting image.

The Nutrient assistive device is made from food-grade silicone and ABS plastic, using CNC milling and gloss paint techniques. The design team, comprising of Chao-Yuan Tseng, Tse-Hsiang Chang, Kuang-En Wu, Hsin-Ying Chen, Yu-Yuan Cheng, Wei-Lun Fang, and Wan-Ling Peng, worked meticulously to ensure the device is not only functional but also appealing to children. The device comes in four different forms, each designed to train a specific set of muscles crucial for articulation.

The design process involved extensive research and interviews with professional speech-language pathologists to ensure the device's accuracy and effectiveness. The team also focused on making the device interactive and engaging for children, with gradual and easy-to-differentiate training levels. The aim was to provide feedback to the child during the training and counseling process, making the learning experience more effective and enjoyable.

The Nutrient project, started in January 2020, was completed in March 2021 in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The team faced numerous challenges, including arousing children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, ensuring the device's development met standards, and deciding on the material, shape, color, and mechanism. However, with the cooperation of the speech-language pathologists and the supervisor, they were able to overcome these challenges and complete the product research.

The Nutrient assistive device's innovative design and functionality have been recognized with a Silver A' Baby, Kids and Children's Products Design Award in 2021. This prestigious award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. With this recognition, NTUB CTPD continues to make strides in designing unique and effective solutions for articulation disorders.