Jolt | Devpost

First Readings
The Device
Code and Cloth
Coding and Sewing
Final Touches

This project began out of a desire to see those with upper limb disabilities connected to the vast power of the internet without hassle. Our vision was a smooth and sleek arm sleeve which would control the cursor on someone's screen via gyroscope and EMG signals, with the same ease as a Bluetooth mouse. As we dug into the project, it quickly became evident that the EMGs we had access to were too inconsistent to use in the final design, forcing us to pivot to a purely gyroscope based design. What followed was hours upon hours of refining the calibration code, optimizing the freezing process, and ensuring that our design was as user friendly as possible. Getting BLE HID and a live data service running simultaneously on the ESP32 without crashing each other was a battle of its own, and which made the accomplishment of a functional device all the more sweet. Once the code was set, we mounted all the components on a sleeve so they can be worn with minimal interference, and we built a companion website which facilitates easy pairing, monitoring, and customization. We're proud that JOLT pairs instantly and is recognized as a native Bluetooth mouse with zero setup which aligns perfectly with our original goal. Despite the disappointment of faulty EMG hardware, we learned that the best pivots happen early, and that a clean and simple user experience requires far more iteration than it looks like from the outside. We are excited to continue to pursue this concept towards a truly impactful product, with better EMG hardware, a refined sleeve, and the belief that JOLT can make a real difference in someone's life.