Association of University Technology Managers AUTM Video Award for Rolling Dance Chair Project by Merry Lynn Morris - "AUTM Put A Face On It" Award 2013

It was such an honor to have the Rolling Dance Chair Project chosen for the Association of University Technology Managers AUTM Video Award - "AUTM Put A Face On It" Award for 2013!

We worked with CeliCreative Tampa Design Studio to bring this video to fruition and they did a wonderful job! The goal of the AUTM video award is to support/showcase "unique videos that feature the people who benefit from university-developed innovations." The video award focuses upon the real-world, lived application of innovative technologies and the transformation of people's lives. Special thanks to those who appeared in the video including: Jessica and Eileen Hendricks, Dwayne Scheuneman - Director of REVolutions Dance, Dr. Paul Sanberg - USF Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation and Executive Director / Center of Excellence for Aging & Brain Repair, and Valerie McDevitt - U.S. Registered Patent Attorney and Associate Vice President at the University of South Florida for Technology Transfer, Division of Patents and Licensing as well as special thanks to the wonderful efforts of Lauren Golin and Dr. Terri Hunter from the USF Office of Patents and Licensing, who helped it all come together. 

Best to All and many Thanks!

MERRY LYNN MORRIS
Designer, Patent Inventor

http://youtu.be/dH5QDbLSaJE

Merry Lynn Morris on Craig Melvin "BIG IDEA"

As resources go... while Merry Lynn Morris was in Texas on two presentations and teaching Ballet Master Classes at two Universities - Texas A&M and TWU  - MSNBC Craig Melvin interviewed Merry Lynn in Dallas, Texas about the latest news on the Rolling Dance Chair Project!  Bravo to Craig Melvin and MSNBC for making all the spectacular arrangements to get this info out! Amazing timing also and to the driver in getting her there for the interview! .... Very grateful! Thank you Craig Melvin and Dominique Mann of MSNBC and NBC Universal!

with Love

Sonshine (and Merry Lynn) Morris

here follows the video as downloaded from MSNBC:  


on youtube at:  http://youtu.be/lxi1s8XBB_A

Or the video follows from MSNBC and on their link: http://www.msnbc.com/craig-melvin/watch/a-chair-that-helps-the-disabled-dance-57217603634

Dance Chair Mention on Katie Couric Show!

It was a wonderful honor to have the Rolling Dance Chair mentioned and viewed on the Katie Couric Show for 10/16/2013!  In a segment called Daniel's List, Katie talks about Merry Lynn Morris and her invention while she shows video and pictures of the new prototype 3. The video clip coverage for the Dance Chair begins 55 seconds in.....

Link to the video - "Daniel's List: 22 Acts of Kindness" : http://katiecouric.com/videos/daniels-list-22-acts-of-kindness/

VERLEZZA DANCE COMPANY DEBUTS NEW DANCE CHAIR WITH MERRY LYNN MORRIS

Sabatino Verlezza w/ Verlezza Dance Company Dancers

Tracy Pattison / Amara Romano / Marcie Ryan & w/ Merry Lynn Morris

Verlezza Dance Company in Theatre2 USF
with Merry Lynn Morris

Sabatino Verlezza with Verlezza Dance Company Dancers
Tracy Pattison / Marcie Ryan / Amara Romano

Dream-like Weekend with Verlezza Dance Company
Dancing with Prototypes I & II  (Debut) w/ Merry Lynn Morris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Y84Fgto_E

It was a very dream-like weekend with the incredible debut of the Hands-Free Dance Chair of the Rolling Dance Chair Project - initiated from 2005 by me as Design Patent Inventor - with my work in mixed-ability dance & also from the inspiration of my disabled Father.

Verlezza Dance Company of Ohio flew down to "debut" the new somewhat "working" Dance Chair.  We all held our breath to hope nothing technical would go wrong for the long but lovely weekend!  The Dance Chairs kept being "tweaked" while we all ventured into some amazing ideas of balance & movement with the chairs - including double-ups & standing-up!  Interviews & news coverage attempted to document the project to this point - but which never succeeded in the true understanding of the fact that it has been way too long in making anything work for those who are "waiting in the wings"  - ask Verlezza Dancers - Sabatino Verlezza, Marcie Ryan, & Amara Romano!  Recently, however, I have made an Artistic as well as Financial Decision - to fast-track the manufacture of this wonderful DANCE CHAIR - to make "dreaming" - a REALITY! - after almost 12 years! - I think it is time!  Thank you God!

Looking forward to working soon again with the very wonderful Sabatino Verlezza & his gifted Assistant Artistic Director - Tracy Pattison!  Verlezza Company Dancers - Amara Romano & Marcie Ryan gave incredible feedback to our moving dimensional goals!

Thank You ALL who made this weekend possible.  It has taken years, but I am glad to have made it this far - definitely feels like I am dreaming!  .... The manufacture of three more hands-free dance chairs - is very close to happening!

God Bless to all - and hope to keep dreaming!

w/love - Merry Lynn Morris

Christopher "Kit" Lowe (Wounded Veteran) Tries Out Hands-Free Wheelchair



Georgia National Guard Sergeant Christopher "Kit" Lowe tries out the hands-free wheelchair with design inventor Merry Lynn Morris, USF faculty advisor & professor, at the University of South Florida.  Lowe was critically wounded in August 2009 in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan; he is still recovering from a bullet wound to his upper right thigh.

http://youtu.be/xQUrkV8IGe4

Having wounded soldier friend of Liisa Temple - Kit Lowe -  try out the hands-free wheelchair today, was very special for me.  It is especially great to have feedback from a wounded veteran as I serve on the committee with General Martin R. Steele for the Veterans Re-Integration initiative.  Can't wait to have the new prototype next year for Kit to try !

Looking Forward,

Merry Lynn Morris

 

The Ins & Outs of VANS & WHEELCHAIRS

Our thanks to Sergio Scognamiglio for this great demonstration of the SUPER ARM LIFT which aids in Disability for getting in & out of a VAN with simple mechanical mobility devices.

Merry Lynn Morris interviewed & videoed this demonstration by Sergio for aid in understanding and/or even simplicity of mechanical engineering for those who may be curious & could improve. Sergio simplifies the strap closing doors of the van.... & the Super Arm Lift only takes very small space to install... utilizing electric not hydraulic.

Thank you Sergio... for all you do!!! & your wonderful family!
Love His Sonshine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktD7-YtmsHg or http://www.twitvid.com/T6WZP

Wired Science Interviews Dance Chair USF!

There are so many ways to connect.... Wired Science of PBS did a fantastic job of overview in all of disability... ultimately interviewing the ""BALLET DANCE CHAIR!" w/Merry Lynn Morris .. pretty inspirational & outcome to so many of us waiting.... sure could USE THIS NOW!!! Thank you, God that this is in anyway in the wings or performing, or in vision now! PTL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mEgoHRF5gg or http://www.twitvid.com/PIW6K


This video prompted the full understanding of the design patent process & interpreting Intellectual Property & Artistic Freedom & utilizing NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreements) as well confidentiality clauses. Many thanks to all those in the Arts (Dean Ron Jones) & those who understand IP Law .... for all the assistance ... our attorney friend David Henry.... & IP / Patent Law attorneys .... Bob Frijouf, Dan Frijouf & David Frijouf for being involved pro bono! It was a first for USF to have ideas generated directly & initiated solely from the College of the Arts..... a natural creativity & idea environment!

{Notes on Patent Process: Merry Lynn Morris is the initiator & on the Initial Patent.. & subsequent Design Patents for this "Dance Chair".. which she named herself initially the "Rolling Dance Chair" Project... from her experiences & vision since 2002... initiated chair interpretation in 2004 (with informal devices that only she & I  placed on her Dad's manual wheelchair without any assistance or ideas from anyone else), a formal meeting w/Engineering USF in 2005 with schematics & design drawings made solely by Merry Lynn Morris from a donated power chair, & a grant established to her as principal investigator with The Arts in 2006.... patent submitted by 2007 .... w/then 3rd group of student engineers... & then re-submitted in 2008 under revision request..... fully granted (after following & patent review... by 2010.) USF Design patent in 2009... with further patents by process submission... continuing... 2010..11..`12... It is a wonderful learning experience & journey!}

Love His Sonshine

Art / Museum Tours in Hands-Free Chairs

We put together this video for a conference on Art & Museum accessibility for disabled ....a LEAD Conference in Minneapolis (Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability). The patent on our chair just was fully approved. More upgrades are in the works.

__________________________________________________________________________

This video shows a hands-free model as one could tour an art gallery, work on a computer station or otherwise utilize (disabled or not) ..... a sit-down / hands-free "work" chair which mimics human hovering & natural (weight pulling) interaction with others. The options are really as endless as our imagination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1QfOiqonFo or http://www.twitvid.com/JZ3IC

{NOTE: The Honda video below is only as a comparative industry - one by Japanese innovation ..... they also see touring an art gallery as a possibility & example! Their engineering uses the Segway-type inner gyroscope mechanism which we originally experimented with & still do. It uses a wheel-within-a-wheel approach .... & allows for omni-direction as well the side-to-side motion we are trying to achieve for people of diverse body types and/or abilities seated rather than balancing.}

http://youtu.be/cuIJRsAuCHQ
It is very coincidental that we have video on some of our Museum tours ..... on some "hands-free""chairs.... with our unique chair design.... utilizing two dancers as models for the chairs. Although I am thrilled & thank the Lord for the Honda innovation!!! PTL! to get the mobility awareness & innovation out!..... Our dancers, models, & just regular folk... are sure a lot more comfortable!! I will be sharing these videos with everyone soon.

Love in our Lord,
His Sonshine & Merry Lynn

Merry Lynn Morris CNN Interview Dance Chair Honors Dad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQaYyjgGjBg or http://www.twitvid.com/KBXD1

Merry Lynn Morris Dancing Wheelchair Flying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqqxzXKmPM4 or http://www.twitvid.com/DTZJF or http://www.twitvid.com/RPS54

This is an ongoing project from the Rolling Dance Chair Project initiated 10 years ago by Merry Lynn Morris from the inspiration and honor of her Father who is disabled. His disability stems from a severe car accident where two 18 year-old boys crossed the center line and hit him head on. He was in a coma for two months and never expected to live. But, he did indeed... since the 1980's he has been disabled. Merry Lynn wanted to keep dancing with him as she had until she was 12 years old. I wanted to have greater access to him and wanted freedom in mobility and interaction. Together we tinkered with over 6 wheelchairs... and then some! Finally, the project started officially in 2005, and continues in mostly research at USF at http://rdc.arts.usf.edu/

There has been so much publicity and wonderful news coverage.... including CNN http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FQaYyjgGjBg! For the latest Dance Chair prototype upgrade coverage as of 10/2013 see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LvstaT920Rs .  It has truly been an answer to prayers for us with so much encouragement and inspiration ... PRAISE GOD! May the project, the disability, and our inspiration continue to encourage others in the same way we have been... our continuing prayer!

Morris Family