After a long and fulfilling career in engineering, Robin de Goutiere was ready to embrace retirement. But stepping away from decades of hands-on problem solving left a void.
“I built my own company and retired in 2010,” he explains. “And I found myself kind of frustrated, not doing things anymore. I think you need a purpose. I mean, suddenly there’s no purpose after a lifetime — that’s too much, right?”
That purpose re-emerged when Robin’s daughter introduced him to the Tetra Society, a volunteer-driven organization that creates custom assistive devices for people with disabilities.
“It seemed the perfect thing to do,” he says. “A way of giving back, keeping my mind active, and using all my creative skills to actually help people.”
Since joining Tetra, Robin has designed dozens of adaptive devices — from sports and recreation tools to daily living aids. “I do it because I like it,” he says. “It’s a bit of a hobby, and then someone benefits — that’s a pretty good deal.” His projects include arm supports for people with limited upper-body strength, curling sticks, mobility solutions, and even musical adaptations.
Robin’s process is deeply human-centered. “I get a lot of joy from designing things,” he says. “I have a gift where I can design in my mind very easily — three-dimensional shapes — and then translate them into usable objects.”
One project that stands out is a simple but powerful tool Robin created for Sean, a professional musician and stroke survivor who had lost motor control in his right hand. Sean’s connection to music ran deep, but without the ability to grip a guitar pick, playing became painful – and emotionally difficult.
Robin approached the challenge with curiosity and care. “It was just somebody who needed a system to help strum a guitar,” he says. “I’ve done more complex devices, but this one looked like something I could try.”
The result — a lightweight, 3D-printed pick holder — allowed Sean to play again instantly. “Before Sean even started playing, he said it felt really good,” recalled Bryden, VAMS senior program coordinator. “Then he strummed a few notes and just froze — like he couldn’t believe it. He was speechless. It was like handing someone back a piece of their identity.”
Sean himself later described the experience as transformational: “It was like [Robin] turned on a light switch. All of a sudden, I had rhythm back in my hand again. I was grinning from ear to ear — on the verge of happy tears.”
For Robin, moments like these capture the true spirit of volunteering. “We all take for granted what we do so easily,” he reflects. “And then you meet people who can’t do the simplest things without a struggle… and yet everybody I’ve met has got joy in their life and a smile on their face. If I can make their life even a little bit easier, it’s a wonderful thing.”
His advice to others thinking about volunteering? “Anybody that’s willing to help can do something,” he says. “It doesn’t take a specific skill set — it just takes the will to help.”
Inspired by Robin’s story? Visit https://tetrasociety.org/volunteer/ or email volunteer@disabilityfoundation.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities. You can also explore Tetra’s project gallery to see more examples of meaningful assistive solutions created by volunteers across the country.