Gripster Funded By Lincoln Labs@MIT
Gripster (GripHero 2.0) builds on GripHero and was designed as part of the alumni division, MIT Beaver Works CRE[AT]E challenge. It is an innovative therapeutic device that helps children with dyspraxia and low muscle tone strengthen their grip through engaging, interactive gameplay. The device transforms traditional hand therapy into an engaging, gaming experience. The system features a custom-built aluminum frame with adjustable resistance controlled by an ESP32 microcontroller, load cell sensors, and a motor-driven pulley system that connects wirelessly to browser-based games like Flappy Bird. Users squeeze the grip handles to control game characters, with the device automatically adjusting resistance based on their strength level and tracking progress over time. Developed with input from occupational therapists and rehabilitation experts, Gripster incorporates evidence-based exercise science principles, offering both strength training (10 reps) and endurance modes (20 reps) while providing real-time data visualization and personalized feedback.
Code
This Bluetooth-enabled grip trainer uses an ESP32 running Arduino firmware with a real-time PID loop and Python serial commands for live tuning. When a user squeezes the grip hard enough, the ESP32 sends a simulated keypress (like ‘a’) to trigger a jump in a custom browser game built with JavaScript and HTML5 Canvas. The game uses physics-based mechanics, tracks user performance across strength and endurance modes, and stores progress locally and on a Flask server. All data, like reps, weight, and hand performance, is visualized with interactive charts, and training loads are personalized using exercise science formulas like Epley’s for adaptive strength development.
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Test out the game here: https://yellinhenry.github.io/GripHeroV2/ (you can select the keyboard mode, which is a test of how the software works without the device)
Check out the code here: https://github.com/YellinHenry/GripHeroV2
Check out our demonstration here: Link
Check out the portfolio here: Link