I’m Nina, a 36-year-old graphic designer living in the Netherlands. My work and hobbies revolve around creativity, at the intersection of technology and design. For both professional and personal projects, I create graphic designs (for websites, social media content, etc.), as well as 3D-printed objects, printed clothing, illustrations, cards, 3D mockups, accessories, and miniature worlds. Born with a muscular disease, I’m a “nerd on wheels”.
Last year, I looked for help to raise my arm. Since September 2024, I’ve had the ORTHOPUS Supporter at home on a tripod. I mainly use it in free mode to create art—that’s the main reason I got it—but also for playing board games, eating soup, or even scratching my head!
This device is very handy: it makes handling tools and objects easier and less tiring. The ORTHOPUS Supporter has also had a good effect on my mental health because I can be creative again more easily.
Find the right arm support
First, I tried another arm support – a passive one without motors – that allowed me to touch the table. However, I couldn’t reach far enough. Then I tried the ORTHOPUS Supporter, and I immediately thought, “Yeah, this is it.” It felt so natural.
I use it more than I expected—between 4 and 10 hours per week. It’s so easy to use that once you have it, you just use it.
In the near future, I plan to have it directly mounted on my electric wheelchair. I first wanted to try it out and figure out what works for me and how I use it. But now, I think it’s time to have it on my chair.
Express my identify through the device
I definitely think that assistive devices can impact how you present yourself.
You don’t want to look disabled, but many medical devices make you appear that way. A lot of them are always light blue or medical green—why? They’re just another kind of accessory, and being able to express yourself through colors and design can be the little detail that makes it truly yours. These devices are literally in your face, so if they can match your style, even better.
I have the ORTHOPUS Supporter with a set of orange inlays that I requested from the team. But I’m also creating my own design with custom artwork on printed inlays (thanks to the 3D open source files).
Here is Nina’s custom inlays work in progress:
Spécialisée dans la culture scientifique et technique depuis dix ans, Mona a une expérience au croisement de l’économie sociale et solidaire, de la fabrication numérique et du monde des fablabs. Ses compétences vont de la communication transmedia, à l’animation de communautés en passant par l’événementiel. Chez ORTHOPUS, elle met en œuvre et anime la stratégie communication et marketing.