Westminster Victory at CSEF

By Meiyin Ren ’25

On March 16, Westminster School clinched top honors at the finalist awards ceremony of the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair (CSEF). With guidance from Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Rogers, my project, "A 2-DOF Pneumatic Shoulder Rehabilitation Device Based on Flexible Materials," was named the top winner in the Physical Sciences division and also earned a Zepke Award for its innovative application of electronic circuitry.
 
Inspired by my personal experience undergoing physical therapy, as well as witnessing teammates and coaches undergoing extensive shoulder rehabilitation after surgeries, I developed a novel pneumatic shoulder rehabilitation device that works to facilitate a dual range of rehabilitation exercises. Controlling the inflation and deflation of air by an air pump monitored by a pressure sensor, and featuring an assembly of three spines with seven air modules each, the device enables a dual degree of freedom (2DOF) range of movement. Currently, the device is designed to perform two basic rehabilitation exercises: vertical abduction and adduction, as well as horizontal extension and flexion, with a quantitative benchmark of a horizontal movement range of 90° and a vertical one of 45°. My research mainly focuses on examining the fabrication of the individual air modules, developing a mobile interface that enables control of the device, and testing the 2DOF range of motion of the device. Since my device achieved a commendable vertical range of 56.4° and a horizontal range of 109.2°, it is able to meet rehabilitation needs.
 
This victory at CSEF allowed me to secure one of the seven spots to represent Connecticut at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles this May, where we will compete with other national teams. Furthermore, I received an invitation to the 49th Annual Meeting and Dinner of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, where I will display my project for Academy Members and guests. However, this victory was not just a personal achievement but a historic moment for Westminster, marking the first time in recent years the school has received top honors at the fair. The last notable participant was Jiwoong Park ’21, who won a Zepke Award.