Some projects begin with a technical question. Others begin with a human need. In the case of GIRO, the project developed by Centro Sagrado Corazón – Jesuitas Logroño and awarded first prize in the 5th edition of the VET Knowledge Transfer Awards, both come together from the very beginning: can Vocational Education and Training help improve the recovery of women who have undergone a mastectomy?
The team’s answer came from the Higher VET programme in Industrial Mechatronics, where students Verónica Martínez, Lilu González, Laura Castro and Itsaso Marauri, supported by their tutor Javier González, developed a technical solution with a very specific purpose: to design an adaptable arm exoskeleton, manufactured using 3D printing, to support the progressive rehabilitation of women who have overcome breast cancer.
The project addresses a complex reality. Following a mastectomy, many women may experience a loss of mobility, strength and independence in the arm. The team itself summarises the issue directly in the project presentation video: “After a mastectomy, many women lose mobility, strength and independence.” From this concern, the group posed the question that would shape the entire project: “What if we could help them through Vocational Education and Training?”
A technical solution designed with empathy
Before beginning the design process, the team wanted to gain a first-hand understanding of the problem. To do so, they met with rehabilitation specialists from the Spanish Association Against Cancer, a key step in understanding the physical consequences of this type of surgery and better shaping their proposal.
During their research, the students identified that, following such a delicate procedure, arm mobility can be affected by factors such as surgical sutures or pain. They also found that without appropriate rehabilitation, patients may develop lasting complications, including chronic pain, limitations in shoulder abduction and flexion, or conditions such as winged scapula.
Based on this information, the team designed an arm exoskeleton adaptable to each user, intended to support different stages of the recovery process. The system would operate using servomotors limited to the appropriate range of movement depending on each patient’s stage of rehabilitation, with the main purpose of supporting gradual recovery and helping restore mobility.
The proposal also includes a possible extension for cases of lymphoedema through the incorporation of a lymphatic drainage system based on the Boder method, designed to stimulate the lymphatic system, reduce oedema, eliminate toxins and help decrease inflammation.
GIRO therefore combines knowledge of mechatronics, design, 3D printing and motion control, but its value goes beyond its technical dimension. The project demonstrates how VET can apply its skills to a real need, connecting technology, health and patient support.
Technology with a purpose
The first prize in the VET Knowledge Transfer Awards recognises precisely this ability to transform learning into a solution with real impact. In this 5th edition, promoted by FPEmpresa and Grupo Esprinet, the awards focused on technological projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, with particular emphasis on SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality.
GIRO is aligned with SDGs 3, 5, 8, 9 and 10, addressing issues related to health and well-being, equality, innovation, decent work and reduced inequalities. Beyond the list of goals, however, the project stands out for a simple yet powerful idea: using technology so that more women feel supported during a difficult recovery process.
“Because we want more women to feel strong and supported,” the team explains in its presentation. This sentence captures the human focus of a proposal that was created not only to solve a technical challenge, but also to help improve patients’ quality of life.
The experience has also prompted an important reflection among the students themselves: “Thanks to GIRO, we have discovered that technology with a purpose has much greater power.” This idea captures much of the project’s value: learning mechanics, programming or design not as an end in itself, but as a way of creating useful solutions for society.
With GIRO, Centro Sagrado Corazón – Jesuitas Logroño demonstrates how Vocational Education and Training can research, design and prototype solutions capable of moving beyond the classroom and addressing real-world problems. A project that turns mechanics into a tool for healing and reminds us, as the team itself states, that “VET can also transform lives.”
