[Greg Newell]

Dave,
    I appreciate your comments and ideas. I think that the portability is high
on my list of must haves at the present. I'm also thinking of using simple
levers and such in order to not drive the cost up too much. I'm likely not to
make much of anything on this anyway. Kind of a fun little teaser though, no?

Greg

Dave Bunch wrote:

> Larry Fisher designed a sustain system for wheel chair bound pianists using
> a pedal solonoid system used in PianoDisc systems. In his model the pianist
> would nod their head to activate the sustain. I'm sure a triggering switch
> could be adapted for the leg. The biggest advantage would be that it would
> take very little effort to opperate because the solenoid would be doing the
> actual work of lifting the dampers. The only problem would be that it would
> not be easily moved from one piano to another. Most any other adaption would
> probably not be very portable either.
>
> Just an idea.
>
> Dave Bunch
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Graeme Harvey" <gharvey@netsource.co.nz>
> To: "Pianotech@Ptg.Org" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2001 5:15 AM
>
> > Hello All,
> >
> > This request came to me from another tuner in NZ not on this list.
> >
> > "I have a client who plays and teaches a lot of piano,
> > who has developed an affliction in her feet/ankles
> > which means she can't use the pedals on her piano.
> > Does anyone know of a system which would allow a
> > pianist to operate the pedals by moving a leg from
> > side to side. (She has bad knees as well.)  Is there
> > something commercially available, or failing that, has
> > anyone ever constructed such a device, and have a
> > design for one?  Ideally she would like something that
> > can be transferred from piano to piano - I don't know
> > how feasible that would be.
> >
> > Any thoughts or ideas would be very, very welcome."
> >
> > Post any ideas either to the list or to me privately.
> > Many thanks.
> >
> > Regards
> > Graeme Harvey
> > New Plymouth
> > New Zealand

--
Greg Newell
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net