developing product for patients with hand tremors

Brain and nerves
1

I am an engineering student from the US working on a project at the National University of Singapore, and I am developing a product to make it easier for people with hand tremors to unlock doors using keys. My team and I have been unable to find many people with hand tremors willing to talk to us, but we would really like to know what you would like to see in a product like this and how we can best help you. 

Some of the important criteria for the product that we have identified are: 

-should make key easy to grip 

-guide key to keyhole easily with correct orientation

-easy to operate

-compact 

Please comment if there are any other qualities that would be important to you.

Some other questions we have: 

-Would you prefer an attachment to your key to be smaller or larger? Which is easier for you to grip? 

-What issues do you encounter when trying to use keys? 

-How do you hold/use your key? 

-How much would you pay for a product like this? 

Anything helps, thank you! 

2

Good morning.  I personally would suggest a larger and heavier attachment.  Although I was only recently diagnosed, it is my understanding that in the future i will need weighted utensils to help eat.  I also think a larger attachment will be easier to grab as the shaking makes it difficult to pin-point the intended object.  I do not have problems with grip yet.  Just issues with focused movement.  The more intentional my movement, the worse I shake.  I hope my feedback is helpful to you and others.  Thank you for doing research to help us.  I cannot comment on how much I would pay as I currently can open locks and start my car.  I soon will unable to be stable enough to disengage the alarm system though.  I am thinking when I cannot open a lock I should not be driving.  sad  My house is on keypad. 

3

I have had ET for many years (diagnosed 1980's) and it has become worse slowly. No problems with grip. Only issue is getting key into the lock sometimes. Car key is no problem as the lock is almost sideways on.

If I have a problem with this kind of task I generally use two hands.

Good luck with your research!