The client has expressed that their EDS is hindering their fine motor skills and grip strength. This limits their ability to play board games with their son and as a result they have less ways to bond. Since games are a big part of the clients’ life and relationships, we aimed to design a device that would allow them to independently manipulate small pieces for long periods of time in the hopes of reducing the struggles they are facing. This led to the creation of the Game Piece Gripper as shown in figures 1 and 2.

                                                            *Figure 1: Final Gripper*

                                                             *Figure 2: Final Gripper*

It is a small, handheld gripper meant for short distance handling of small objects. It is operated by using a gentle squeezing motion which runs a rack along one of the gear arms. This gear arm rotates the other arm in the opposite direction, allowing it to open. The rack compresses a spring, so when the user stops squeezing the spring decompresses and closes the gripper. Our design is lightweight and easy to operate. Unlike a brace it can be picked up and set down without hassle and unlike a typical long-range gripper, it’s comfortable and made for small objects. The force required to operate the gripper is distributed across the entire hand to avoid stressing individual fingers and joints. This will prevent the client from wearing out their hands quickly. Our next steps would be to create a rounded, 3D printed casing to further increase comfort but also to allow the client to modify the casing themselves, since they have expressed that this is a hobby they enjoy. We would also place a clear material on the sides to allow for more visibility and use a stronger spring so that the grip is tighter.