Series 1, Episode 5 synopsis:
Episode 5 features 28-year-old Rosie, a graphic designer and sub-editor originally from Sligo who was diagnosed with MS 4 years ago. Rosie and her husband, Niall, live in Walkinstown. Rosie has a passion for art, but as her condition deteriorates, is finding it more and more difficult to draw and paint without pain. Dr David McKeown, a mechanical engineer from UCD who is currently working on Ireland’s first space satellite, and Trevor Vaugh, an innovator and designer from Maynooth University, are here to help. Can they design and build something that allows Rosie to ‘just be Rosie’ and still be able to enjoy her passion?
The episode also features 17-year-old Tomás. Tomás is a recent wheelchair user and is trying to get used to losing his independence. He loves fly fishing on the River Suir, and can get there on the family’s Gator, but he still needs one of his parents to get his wheelchair in and out, so he is never alone. Shane Phelan, an electronic engineer who currently works in robotics, thinks he might have a solution. If he can build a mechanical arm for the gator that could lift a wheelchair, he could give Tomás back some independence. But things are never that easy.
Series overview:
A brand new RTÉ series, Big Life Fix, challenges a group of leading designers, engineers, computer programmers and technology experts to create inventions that will transform people’s lives. Filmed over the course of a full year, the group uses cutting edge science and technology to build practical solutions for those who need their help.
Based at TOG, a facility for makers in the Blackpitts area of Dublin city, the team harnesses the power of science to create tailor-made inventions for individuals and families. Between them, they can build everything from space satellites to life-saving medical devices and military hardware.
Made with the support of Science Foundation Ireland, this series marries real problems and human drama with science, proving that with a little bit of ingenuity – nothing is impossible.