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Alessia Romani

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+MANI project - PiuMani

Codesigned products for and with people with rheumatic diseases



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+MANI

+MANI - piUmani (More hands - More human)

Research contract


  • 📅 · Period:
    Nov 2021 - Apr 2022; June 2022 – May 2023

  • 💰 · Funding:
    Funded research contract, Fausti ZPT.

  • 🏛 · Coordinator:
    Politecnico di Milano, Italy

  • 🤝 · Partners:
    2 academic/industrial institutions and 1 regional/national patient associations, Italy

  • ⭐ · My Role:
    Research fellow

  • 🏫 · My Affiliation:
    Research fellow, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

  • 🏷️ · Keywords:
    Codesign, Assistive technology, Customization, 3D printing, Rheumatic diseases, Arthritis, Social sustainability, Assistive aid, Parametric design.


Overview

+MANI — PiùMani (More Hands — More Human) is a research project funded by Fausti ZPT and carried out at +LAB, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, coordinated by Prof. Marinella Levi, in collaboration with ALOMAR Onlus (Associazione Lombarda Malati Reumatici). Following a co-design approach supported by 3D printing, the project aimed to develop new assistive products for people with rheumatic diseases through hybrid co-design workshops, conducted both in-person and online, involving patient co-designers, occupational therapists, and the industrial partner. The project resulted in two assistive products: Battito ("Beat"), a customizable writing aid designed to facilitate tracing, writing, drawing, and signing activities for people with limited hand grip, released as an open-source 3D-printable device, and a second product, currently under development as an injection-molded proprietary option. Together, they aim to extend codesign for a wider audience toward (i) open-source distribution of selected outputs through customization, parametric design, and low-cost 3D printing, and (ii) codesign for commercial product development through injection molding engineering.

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Project partners

Politecnico di Milano (IT) 🇮🇹
ALOMAR ODV: Associazione Lombarda Malattie Reumatologiche - Lombard Association for Rheumatic Diseases (IT) 🇮🇹
Fausti ZPT (IT) 🇮🇹


Team members

+LAB Team: Marinella Levi, Alessia Romani, Davide Ferrari

Fausti ZPT: Stefano Fausti, Valerio Fausti

Codesigners: Roberta Baldassin, Emanuela Brambilla, Antonella Mantegazza, MariaGrazia Pisu, Giovanna Raimondi, Laura Sassi, Carla Serati, Bianca Petrucci

Hackathon Team: Francesco Basciu, Valerio Fausti, Andrea Mantelli, Gabriele Natale, Davide Pecchini, Fabio Prestini, Giuditta Ravalli, Alessia Romani

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My contribution:

  • Co-design: Led co-design workshops with patient co-designers from ALOMAR and Fausti ZPT; responsible for data collection, session reporting, and documentation. Organized the Hackaton activity with makers and designers.
  • Product design: concept development, design, and iterative prototyping of new assistive products for people with rheumatic diseases; coordinated contextual testing with co-designers during dedicated workshops.
  • Additive manufacturing: Prototyped and fabricated product variants using low-cost Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing; managed material selection and process optimization.
  • Parametric design & online customization: Developed parametric definitions in Rhinoceros/Grasshopper and sizing systems for selected products (Battito - Beat)
  • Graphics & visual: Designed graphic materials for all documentation and questionnaire/test phase (tags - instructions).
  • Dissemination: Technical reporting to project partners and presentations.
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Online configurators for customizable assistive technology - BATTITO project

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Preview of the online configurator for the customization of Battito


Research and dissemination output connected to my work

  • ⚙️ Technology Transfer: 1 on OSF, Shapediver online configurators of the customizable parts.

  • 📢 Dissemination & outreach: Work presented at community outreach events, such as TIUPAC Global Women's Breakfast @Polimi 2024.



Selected dissemination and media outreach

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+MANI presented at IUPAC Global Women's Breakfast @Polimi 2024

Poster presentation at IUPAC GWB Polimi, Milan (Feb 27, 2024)



Technology transfer from the project

Online configurators

Technology transfer repositories