An Open Source Assistive Switch (Buddy Button)

We want to make sure everyone is able to use a buddy button, and that it's suited to their needs.

The Project

An open source project, to design a low cost specialized button for people with limited mobility as a replacement for commercially available options that can cost between $60-500.

The Process

We went through several iterations to get to this level, and we expect many more as we open source this project.

	Print Notes	Results
V1	A base and a top with a spiral/threaded neck with a large pitch to allow for switching	Not very effective, inconvenient to use, needs to be screwed in at a particular angle, not enough movement
V2	Printed as four parts; a base and a top, with a pin that locks through a hole big enough to allow for button actuation	The lock pin is too small to be printed using 3D printing
V3	Reduced thickness to remove weight, removed lock pins, added support for springs	The walls are very sturdy, still a lot of scope of reducing weight, one of the supports broke (too thin)
V4	Lock Mechanism; two part print in which the top half moves into the ‘lips’ in the bottom and locks in place	The lock works, the wall thickness reduced to half, still very sturdy; more reduction possible

Parts List

Adafruit feather NRF52 Bluefruit LE (approximately $24.95)
Feather Header Kit-12pin and 16-pin Header set (approximately $0.95)
Feather stacking headers 12-pin and 16-pin female headers (approximately $1.25)
Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 3.7v 150mAh (approximately $5.95)
Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 3.7v 500mAh (approximately $7.95)
RGB Smart LED (approximately $7.95)
Springs (approximately $1.00)

3D Printing Files

You can download the open source files at our GitHub repository here.