World News, Today World News, Latest International News, World Breaking News, Trending News of World - Times of India
· collected 2026-08-21 · by TOI World Desk
An estimated 18 million people of all ages live with cerebral palsy across the globe.
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people → estimate → globe
Within the United States, this number ranges from 764,000 to 1 million, with about 1 in every 345 children diagnosed, according to the Cerebral Palsy Guide.
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number → range → Guide
Most such kids are unable to entertain themselves with the toys and activities that others their age do.
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others → entertain → that
But one Canadian student's invention has helped children with cerebral palsy venture into the art of painting.
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children → help → painting
Straws, pipe cleaners, and sponges would seem of no use to an engineering student other than their one true purpose.
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Straws → seem → purpose
But for Lianna Genovese, they sparked an idea that went beyond her room into hospitals, schools and homes in dozens of countries.
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that → spark → countries
The inspiration came when she met Elissa, introduced through the James Dyson Award and McMaster University as a woman with cerebral palsy who had lost the ability to use a brush and subsequently, her ability to paint as she once did.
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she → come → brush
Genovese was only 18, a first-year student and studying biomedical and mechanical engineering at McMaster University in Canada.
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Genovese → study → Canada
They met through a classroom project where Genovese and her classmates were working to help Elissa.
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Genovese → meet → Elissa
The will to change lives
“I wanted to give Elissa back her passion,” recalled Genovese.
While other students focused on an ergonomic computer mouse or other daily-use items, Genovese’s group members looked for a way to help the avid artist paint again.
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artist → change → way
“I wanted to give Elissa back her passion,” recalled Genovese.
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Genovese → want → passion
Upon learning of Elissa's story, she began thinking of ways to leverage the movements that the woman was still able to perform to guide a brush across a surface.
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woman → learn → surface
In a statement made by the university in 2021, Genovese explained that hearing about the story ignited her desire to restore part of Elissa's capacity for expression.
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hearing → make → expression
This is when she formed a principle that formed the base of the final project: using larger movements of the arm and shoulder to compensate for the limitations of fine hand movements.
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that → form → movements
According to the James Dyson Award and McMaster University, the first prototypes were assembled with straws, pipe cleaners, and a sponge.
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prototypes → accord → straws
She collaborated with Elissa who participated in testing and provided feedback on what she could or could not do with the equipment.
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she → collaborate → equipment
Based on these experiences, new versions began to emerge.
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versions → base → experiences
The project continued to be refined with the involvement of individuals with differing medical conditions, along with neurologists and occupational therapists.
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project → continue → neurologists
By 2021, Lianna had already spoken to or tested with more than 150 patients and healthcare professionals in Canada, according to McMaster University.
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Lianna → speak → University
Two years later, the university reported that the development had already received contributions from more than 525 occupational therapists, neurologists, and individuals with limited hand mobility.
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development → report → mobility
3D printer-inspired system that guides hand movements
Different objects can be attached at the end, such as a pen, marker, brush, or a stylus for touch screens.
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objects → inspire → screens
The most advanced version of Guided Hands adopted a logic reminiscent of the movement of a 3D printer.
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version → adopt → printer
The device has a structure made up of linear axes and bearings that allows for guided hand movement.
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that → have → movement
With this, the user can perform horizontal and vertical movements and also change the direction of the motion.
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user → perform → motion
The person rests their hand on an adapted piece and moves the whole setup mainly using the larger motor skills of the shoulder and arm.
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person → rest → shoulder
Different objects can be attached at the end, such as a pen, marker, brush, or a stylus for touch screens.
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objects → attach → screens
It does not paint or write on its own and rather functions as a structure that supports and guides the movement performed by the individual themselves.
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that → paint → individual
This ensures that the user's participation is vital.
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participation → ensure → ?
Beyond an experiment
In 2023, Genovese was also included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Local Toronto list.
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Genovese → include → list
Among the tests conducted during the development, one meeting changed Genovese's thoughts on the device.
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meeting → conduct → device
She met Bella, a girl with cerebral palsy and observed her using Guided Hands to write, colour, draw and play on an iPad.
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her → meet → iPad
According to the engineer, watching the girl’s reaction made her realise that this college project could have much broader applications beyond the classroom.
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project → accord → classroom
The experience helped transform an academic activity into a venture.
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experience → transform → venture
She founded ImaginAble Solutions in 2019, while she was still a third-year student, to develop and commercialise assistive technologies.
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she → found → technologies
In an initial phase, the very structure used to develop the product operated in the basement of the young entrepreneur’s home, according to a report published by McMaster.
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structure → use → McMaster
In August 2021, Genovese won the Canadian stage of the James Dyson Award, an international design and engineering competition aimed at students and recent graduates.
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Genovese → win → students
She secured the national prize of US$3,500 to further develop the invention and also qualified the device for the international phase of the competition.
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She → secure → competition
At that time, the expectation was to bring the equipment to market by the end of 2021.
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expectation → bring → 2021
However, commercial development continued through testing and programs with hospitals and rehabilitation centres.
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development → continue → hospitals
McMaster later reported that the product officially entered the market when Lianna graduated in 2022.
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Lianna → report → 2022
…and 2 more, not listed.
