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Title: Rehabilitating Tricycle Program: Assistive Technology Development Financial Assistance Program (ASEE/DEED & NISH) Applicants: David Horne Lukasz Krzeminski Ernesto Rosini Sean Walters Faculty Advisors: Oscar Lopez-Pamies (Assistant Professor) Yu Zhou (Assistant Professor) Affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794 1. Objective The objective of this design project is to create a safe and comfortable rehabilitating tricycle that people with physical impairments may use in order to build flexibility and strength in their legs. We will custom design a prototype tricycle for a specific child with a physical handicap affecting his/her legs, with the ultimate goal of creating a series of such rehabilitation devices for both children and adults (Fig.1). An important consideration is to promote a positive, optimistic outlook in the student, by ensuring that he/she enjoys and looks forward to using the tricycle. Fig.1 Conceptual diagram of rehabilitating tricycle Many children with gross motor impairments have limitations in basic physical activities such as walking and riding a bike. It is very important for those with physical disabilities to exercise their muscles sufficiently in order to reduce the potential hardening of the muscles and to sustain mobility. In particular, it is critical for children with physical disabilities to be rehabilitated at an early age, which may eventually liberate them from a life-time dependence on caretakers. Rehabilitation has always been a major milestone of progress for those with physical disabilities and limitations. With improvements in medicine and medical procedures, there is much hope for those with debilitating conditions to experience significant recovery. Rehabilitation efforts can be difficult, as no two conditions are exactly alike. We have embarked on a course to design a rehabilitating tricycle, intended to promote leg movement and build muscle strength. Our unique design will limit ankle movement, because, in many cases, individuals have limited ankle mobility. We hope to provide the user with beneficial treatment, as well as an enjoyable, motivating experience. 2. Workscope We conducted a preliminary survey with the teachers and therapists at the Premm Learning Center in Long Island, New York (an organization that caters to the disabled and handicapped). Our findings show a strong demand for a tricycle that would allow children with gross motor impairments to use it without having to bend or rotate the joints in their ankle. This type of device would provide necessary constraints to these children and allow them to more controllably move their legs. In doing so, they would gain both strength and flexibility, which would eventually allow them to move their legs more controllably without the device. To help those children to recover from their impairments, we plan to design a rehabilitation tricycle which will “train” them to move their limbs correctly. The tricycle will have a three-wheel platform. The child will be seated in a high-back foam seat, providing stability and ensuring safety. Behind the seat frame, there is a handlebar, similar to that of a shopping cart, which allows a physical therapist to maneuver the tricycle. This handlebar is equipped with a braking lever, which can stop the tricycle or gauge its velocity. The child will be seated in the tricycle, and, depending on the condition and functionality of his/her legs, the proper resistance will be applied to the pedals through a tensioning device. For example, a beginner could start with a very small amount of tension on the pedals, while a physical trainer pushed the child around, requiring minimal effort from the child. The movement of the wheels would be connected to the gear-train, thus forcing the pedals to rotate. This motion would exercise the child’s legs, through joint rotation as well as muscle extension. As the child gains strength and mobility, the pedal resistance could be increased. Our hope is for the student to eventually be able to power the tricycle independently. The rehabilitating tricycle will be safe and stable. It will be designed for a specific child, and its all-terrain tires will allow for both indoor and outdoor use. The resistance adjustment will be designed to be user friendly and easy to operate. To encourage fun, magnetic switches mounted on the wheels will trigger lights and bells as the tricycle moves. The electrical system will be powered by a rechargeable battery. 3. Schedule Following the methodology of total design, we define the major tasks of our project as the following: 1) Market Research & Analysis: We conduct a through analysis of existing products that are relevant to our own concept, so as to prevent product duplication. 2) Product Design Specification: We will detail the guidelines and specifications for every aspect of our design process. 3) Conceptual Design: We will create and evaluate different conceptual designs based on PDS and pick the concept matching the user need and PDS best as the final system design. 4) Detail Design: We will design the components and subsystems for the best system concept. 5) Fabrication: We will manufacture the tricycle based on the Detailed Design. 6) Testing: We will test the tricycle for strength, durability, and overall performance. Our projected timetable is shown in Table 1. Table 1: Project Timeline COMPLETION DATE TASK October 15th, 2007 Market Research & Analysis October 31st, 2007 December 1st, 2007 Product Design Specification Conceptual Design December 31st, 2007 March 1st, 2008 Detailed Design Fabrication May 1st, 2008 May 8th, 2008 Testing Final Presentation 4. Budget Our tentative budget accounts for all projected costs of the design process (Table 2). Raw materials include steel and other metals that will be used. Parts and supplies are those components that will be purchased already made or assembled. Fabrication includes machining and manufacturing costs. Electronics encompasses the electrical aspects of the tricycle. Table 2: Budget Item Budget Raw Materials Parts & Supplies Fabrication Electronics TOTAL $600.00 $300.00 $300.00 $120.00 $1,320.00 As our estimated budget expenses exceed the amount of money we have been allotted by our school, we are seeking additional funding from the Assistive Technology Development Financial Assistance Program in the amount of $350. 5. Department Co-Funding The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University supplies students with $230.00/each for their senior design project. Our group comprises of four students, giving our group a total co-funding of $920.00. We plan to reach out to companies and other people to help us fund our project. We also have the access to Stony Brook University’s machine shop and CAD lab. 6. Project Team Our team comprises of four mechanical engineering senior students, David Horne, Lukasz Krzeminski, Ernesto Rosini, and Sean Walters. Ernesto Rosini is a director in his volunteer Fire Dept. and an Intern Engineer at a fire truck manufacture. David Horne is an Intern Engineer at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. Lukasz Krzeminski is a parttime SAE master auto-technician. Sean Walters is an Intern Engineer at a laser metal fabrication company. Our faculty advisor is Oscar Lopez-Pamies, professor of Mechanical Engineering whose expertise is Solid Mechanics. Our senior design project course instructor is Prof. Yu Zhou, who specializes in Machine Design and Robotics. 7. External Collaboration We have established a relationship with Mr. Thomas Rosati, a speech teacher at the Premm Learning Center on Long Island, New York—an elementary program facility that serves students ranging from 5 - 21 years old who are mentally retarded, physically handicapped and/or multiply disabled. 8. Faculty Advisor Contact Information Our faculty advisors may be contacted as following 1) Prof. Yu Zhou: phone: (631) 632-8322, email: [email protected]. 2) Prof. Oscar Lopez-Pamies: email: [email protected].