Introduction: Ticcer: a Device to Help With Tourette Syndrome/Motor Tics
Ticcer is meant to help users deal with their Tourette Syndrome or generalized tic disorder. TS is a neurological disorder characterized by unwanted sounds or movements known as tics and can be relatively simple or complex depending on the person. There is medication that can treat TS, but it can come with serious side effects and is expensive. Fortunately, making the person with Tourette’s more present in their environment and reminding them that they are doing their tics can help them to not do them as much. Ticcer is meant to automate that process so that people with Tourette’s don’t need someone by their side to always let them know when they’re doing their tics which can be inconvenient at times.
Ticcer uses a bend sensor to check when the user is doing their tics. The user places the bend sensor on the part of the body that twitches and sets a limit for how much the sensor can bend before the movement is considered a tic. If multiple body parts move, you can easily connect multiple bend sensors and set individual thresholds for each of them.
Supplies
- Arduino Uno or similar microcontroller
- Battery pack with barrel plug (can be 9v or AA)
- 1 9V or 4AA batteries
- 2 330-ohm resistors
- 9 male-to-male wires
- HC-06 Wireless BT Module for Arduino
- SparkFun 2.2 in flex sensor SEN-10264 or equivalent flex sensor
- Soldering Iron
- Solder + Flux
- Male-to-Female cable
- Smartphone with Bluetooth
- Computer
Step 1: Before You Start Building
Before you start building, I recommend you do a few things. It really helps to have a protective case around your Arduino. If you have a 3D printer, you can print one out, or you can make one out of acrylic or even Legos.
If you want to 3D print a case, you can find the .STL files here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:994827
Credit: Esquilo
If you don’t have a 3D printer, follow this guide to making a case with cardboard:
https://www.instructables.com/Arduino-Case/
Credit: TheWiredMechanic
Step 2: Wiring
1) Wire the 5V and GND port to the breadboard
2) Connect one end of the flex sensor to the power bus
3) Connect the other end of the flex sensor to the breadboard as seen on the wiring diagram below
4) Connect the 10k ohm resistor
5) Connect the resistor to ground
6) Complete the voltage divider circuit by connecting the A0 port between the end of the resistor and the cable connected to ground
7) Connect the Bluetooth module to the breadboard (horizontally)
8) Connect VCC to 5V, GND to GND, TX to RX port on Arduino and RX to TX on Arduino
Step 3: Bluetooth
Link to download the Ticcer companion app: https://kodular.app/ATB-UWE
1) Download the Ticcer companion app onto your smartphone
2) Turn on Bluetooth pairing on your phone
3) Go to the dropdown menu in the app and select HC-06
Step 4: Testing/Calibration
Since every person’s tics differ in severity and placement, you will need to play around to see where you need to place the bend sensor. You will also have to determine through trial and error the threshold for what is considered a tic and what is considered normal movement. For example, if you have a tic where you flick your wrist, you will need to perform the tic a few times to see where on your wrist the bend sensor should be placed, and how bent the sensor must be before Ticcer records that a tic has been done.
1) Place the bend sensor on your body where you perform the tic.
2) secure the sensor with rubber bands, Velcro, etc. but make sure that it isn’t so tight that the sensor is being bent.
3) Look at the serial monitor and perform your tic a few times. Take the average of the readings for every time you performed your tic. Go into the code and set the threshold variable to your average.
Step 5: Conclusion
You’re all set! If you haven’t already, you can make the Arduino portable by adding a battery pack and also swapping out the Arduino Uno for a Nano or Pico. If you’re so inclined, you can also ditch the breadboard entirely by soldering you’re cables and 3D printing an enclosure for everything.
You can find the .STL file to a 3D printable box here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2654324/remixes
Credit: DrLex
This box is actually for earbuds, but if you only print the lid and bottom, and scale everything up, it is a perfect housing.
