A home exercise system to aid physical therapy
Project Description
Students in the gear semester were tasked with creating a set of products that aids users in performing a task. I chose to focus on replacing resistance bands commonly used in physical therapy practices with a more personalized device.
Timeline
16 weeks, 01.2026-05.2026
Physical Therapy gear is outdated
In current practice, physical therapy exercises are quite complex while the gear is rudimentary. I want to flip that relationship.
The main difference between sports therapy and standard PT practices is how much technology and testing we did at the Browns. Athletes wouldn't be able to play until they passed a series of (quantitative) tests.
There was a saying in the office... if you're not testing you're guessing.
Anthony Trem
Cleveland Clinic Rehab manager
We often have to treat 3-4 patients at a time meaning there's a lot of downtime in the clinic.
I don't have a good way to tell if my patients are keeping up with their therapy when I'm not there.
Jenny Reeves
Physical Therapist
It was very difficult to keep up with everything they wanted me to do at home. It was a lot and I couldn't really tell if it was working.
In the end, I wanted to stop all together.
Jennifer Kinsley
Rotator Cuff patient
Improved user Journey
Injury occurs
Therapist consult
Establish recovery plan
Wearable tracks activity
Activity level informs recovery
A central touchscreen UI and a simple on/off button. A basic door chock combined with a detachable wearable completes the set.
Tech forward. Softer forms.
Device swivels on an axis to allow multiple directions of pull. On/ off button and resistance dial combined into one compact UI.
Mechanical. Streamlined.
Reel spool form factor that utilizes a directional guide. Familiar button and LED UI indicate resistance level.
Familiar Forms.
Design language
Tonal's system uses a focal UI combined with soft forms to create a user centered experience. Raised logos, textured aluminum and hard plastics establish a premium VBL.
CAD Development
Ideation of the entire system focusing on incorporating the design language of Tonal. The most successful iterations were of the reel-spool form factor, given its familiar shape in context of the function.
A replacement for resistance bands
The Tonal Velo is a portable, customizable, resistance system that aims to replace rubber resistance bands as the leading treatment in physical therapy.
Universal door chock
The system utilizes a rubberized door chock complete with nylon webbing. This allows the user to anchor the device in any room.
Cold touch dial
The Velo's resistance level is controlled by a textured aluminum dial. This allows the user to exercise with anywhere between 5 and 50 lbs of force.
Dual action connection
As the user exercises, the Tonal app records exercise data and provides feedback based on form.
Wearable-App communication
The user wears a Tonal wrist wearable that tracks their activity throughout the day and informs the patients recovery routine within the app.
.png)
Range of motion tracking
Wearable tracks range of motion as users perform exercises. This could also be done independent of the resistance system.
Flexible attachment options
Detachable tracking module allows users to choose to wear it on their wrist or attach it to a brace.
App development
-In progress-
I am currently in the process of designing the app that coincides with this project using Figma.
