Life is all about identifying things that turn your crank and taking steps to make those things happen. Your gut will tell you what feels right, and then somehow the world/life/universe/God has a way of helping you figure out how to manifest your vision. Big projects and exciting adventures are great, but sometimes little projects can be just as satisfying. Over the years I have learned that I love to solve problems — and quadriplegia comes with a multitude of things to problem-solve. Often the solutions pop into my head about 2 a.m., and once they do, going back to sleep is not an option.

Learning to make computerized projects has been a dream of mine for a long time but until recently has been out of my realm of expertise. The advent of Arduinos, cheap microcomputers about the size of a stick of gum, has changed that. Now anyone can make themselves a design and programming expert.

In my last column I wrote about designing and building an Arduino-controlled device that flushes out my bladder and will hopefully stave off urinary tract infections. While building it, I got to incorporate some 3D design and printing, some computer programming, and for a few fun days, some tinkering around with a friend. The whole experience was so satisfying that I came away searching for more things to design.

Here are three more fun projects my buddies and I have been working on.

Tinker 1: Quad Watering System

I love watching things grow, but asking someone to water a bunch of plants takes away from my enjoyment. As a quadriplegic, though, my handling a watering-can around the computer equipment of my office might make for great entertainment to others, but to me has the potential to be extremely expensive.

The hamster in my head was running at full speed one night trying to devise a watering system I could control independently. In the morning I scoured Google and YouTube for ideas, eventually settling on a system that would sense the moisture of the soil and engage a small pump to water if the moisture drops below the desired setting. Then it would wait a minute for the water to soak in before resuming the soil test. 

I found plans online and the parts were readily available for about $20 plus 25 cents worth of 3D filament to make a box for the electronics. With my friend Dave helping to tinker and solder, the project came together perfectly.

As my guinea pig, I used a spider plant that my wife, Terry, feared was dead. It loved the regular, moderate watering, and quickly sprang back to life. Terry has since moved more plants into my office for “intensive care,” and I’ve modified the system to water five plants at once. I’ve also ordered parts to make a few more of these units. It’s so invigorating to have it come together and work perfectly. This system has become like a test bed, and could easily be ramped up to maintain a remote garden from a water barrel or whatever else you can dream up.

Tinker 2: Voice-Activated Pliers

Building the watering system reminded me of how frustrating it can be fiddling with teeny, tiny wires and other small pieces with my quad hands. I said to myself, “Self, if you only had voice-activated pliers, then you could.”

It seemed fortuitous that the Arduino boards I was learning about can accept voice commands. I called my fellow quad-buddy Landon to pick his brain about how voice-activated projects work. He sent a picture of a small module he’d built that lets him use his voice to control a microcomputer. I purchased the material to build the same setup he has. 

While I waited for delivery, my late-night hamster started running again. I watched a few videos — how I learn everything nowadays — and began to realize the potential of this system. My plan was to design and 3D-print some pliers that I could pick up with my quad hands and open and close using voice commands. The microcomputer module Landon shared with me would control the pliers.

Waiting for the voice board and servos was agony, but by the time they arrived, the design was printed, and putting everything together only took a day or so. Now I can pick up and plug the tiny wires into microcomputers, servos and other electrical components. I can also design, build, program and test new electronics projects with no outside help. This provides a new level of independence for me and has me thinking about what it would take to build a longer, larger voice-activated grabber that those of us with limited dexterity could control by voice.

Tinker 3: A Better Lift and Battery

A few years ago, I found a great deal on a portable patient lift with a “new” battery included. Excited about how much easier the lift would make travel and transferring into vehicles, I purchased it. I got it home, charged it up to test it and … nada. The battery was dead. I bought a new battery for about $100, did not use the lift for a year, charged it, and again it was toast. A little venting session with Landon revealed that he has three of these lifts and not one has a battery that will last.

But what if there was a readily available solution that was much cheaper? Landon pointed out that my DeWalt weed trimmer uses a battery with virtually the same voltage — and I already had several of those around the house.  

The hamster sped up and my mind started racing. A quick Amazon order later and a $20 DeWalt battery adapter was on its way. Dave and I brainstormed a controller that would enable my attendant to operate the lift with one hand and handle a patient with the other. Dave suggested a remote winch-controller that would do just that.

We easily found a suitable model online and ordered it. After an afternoon of tinkering, we successfully bypassed all the electronics and hooked up to the actuator directly. Dave tested its strength by sitting on the lift’s horizontal bar and riding it up and down. Now the Hoyer lift works perfectly with a remote winch-controller and 20-volt quick-change battery.

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