PAST PROJECTS
BOBSLED PUSH FOOT PROJECT
WHEELCHAIR TIMER PROJECT
MAYOR BIKE PROJECT
GYM HAND PROJECT
BEN'S HAND PROJECT
ROWING PROJECT
DENISE'S BIKE PROJECT
BEDPAN PROJECT
PUTT-PUTT COURSE PROJECT
FISHING ROD PROJECT
PIANO PEDAL PRESS PROJECT
KAYAK LIFT PROJECT
KAYAK TRANSPORT PROJECT
OMEO WHEELCHAIR PROJECT
BOBSLED PUSH FOOT PROJECT
Fall 2022 - Fall 2023
BACKGROUND
The USA Para Bobsled Skeleton grassroots program for the development of national team and world class para bobsled pilots (drivers) is the VA military development program for injured US Veterans. In order for these injured US Veterans to compete and if amputees have a running leg, they use a spike to help them dig into the ice when they push the bobsled. However, the angle doesn’t align correctly, causing the spike to not grip the ice properly. The athletes often end up slipping and sliding as they push the bobsled. The challenge is to create a push foot that has the appropriate angle to push the sled and will allow the athlete to grip the ice and not slip when they’re pushing the sled.
GOALS
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Create a bobsled spike attachment for the current prosthetic to push off the ice with intense force and at the correct angle while maintaining necessary stability for peak safety and performance
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Avoid slipping and increase flexibility and stability of the prosthetic while running/pushing off
FINAL DESIGN
WHEELCHAIR TIMER PROJECT
Fall 2022
BACKGROUND
We have been in contact with the Richmond Virginia Medical Center, which focuses on the needs of veterans. The center has many patients with conditions such as spinal cord injuries, MS, and ALS that utilize electric wheelchairs. These patients need to perform pressure relief tilts every 22 minutes to prevent pressure wounds. Our task is to create a timer to track when the patients are in the chair and alert them when it is time to perform the tilt.
FLOWCHART ANDÂ BUILD PLAN
We started by creating a flowchart to help conceptualize their ideas. The flowchart starts when the pressure sensor on the seat is activated, setting off a 20-minute timer. When the timer runs out, an indicator, which is a sound alarm in this case, goes off. The patient can then either hit the "snooze" button which delays the action by five minutes or complete the pressure relief. An accelerometer will be installed to sense the pressure relief. A stopwatch will measure how long the patient performs the pressure relief, and when two minutes is up the device should indicate that the patient sufficiently completed the pressure relief. If the patient did not meet the two minute requirement, the alarm will go off again.
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Our team purchased all of the individual hardware components and built the circuit on a breadboard. The team developed skeleton software code alongside the electrical hardware. Once this was complete, the team connected the indicators and sensors and calibrated them. Lastly, the team developed external casing to house the physical electrical components and attached it to the wheelchair.
MAYOR'S BIKEÂ PROJECT
Fall 2021
BACKGROUND
Mayor Clark was in an accident that resulted in a permanent disability, affecting his lower quad, lower hamstring and part of his calf muscle in his right leg. Our purpose is to allow for Mayor Clark to safely return to his favorite activities, specifically biking. Our challenge is to create a bike custom to Mayor Clark, that allows him to pedal with his feet while working out his upper body.
CONCEPT GENERATION
We considered these aspects during designing the bike:
Foot stabilization
Overall stability of the bike
Arm workout segment
PROTOTYPING & TESTING
We designed the bike in these stages:
Foot components
Arm components
Hand winch system
Axial rotation design
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The team built CAD models of the various project parts and ran FEA stress testing to ensure they would withstand normal use. It was determined that the crank arm component was not feasible, so a new exercise band concept was introduced instead. The foot stabilizer component was also greatly modified, and only a Velcro strap was incorporated into the final design.
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There were several parts of the original prototype that were kept the same. The final build plan included an electric front wheel to make biking easier, training wheels to help with stability, and a cushioned bike seat to provide lumbar support.
BUILDING AND TESTING
After modeling the project with CAD software, the team then entered the build phase. This took about a month and involved hands-on participation from the entire team. Several groups were formed, each working on a different component in order to finish the bike as efficiently as possible. After the build was complete, the final testing protocol began.
DELIVERY
The bike was tested successfully and the team was able to deliver it to Mayor Clark in person on December 1st, 2021. He was very happy with the final project and we are proud to have provided him with an adaptive exercise solution.
GYM HAND PROJECT
Spring 2021
BACKGROUND
Greg is a Navy veteran who lost his middle, ring, and pinkie finger in his service. Due to his injury, Greg is unable to properly lift weights to completed some of this exercises. During the spring 2020 semester, a senior design team began designing a gym hand for Greg. However, due to Covid-19, the group was never able to finish the project. QL+ Student Chapter at Virginia Tech agreed to pick up the Gym Hand Project during the spring 2021 semester.
AS A SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT
The senior design team, the previous beholders of this project, were able to complete most of the design work and CAD modeling. However, there were many aspects of the project, such as printed carbon-fiber parts and stability units, that need to be recreated or updated.
AS OURÂ PROJECT (SPRING 2021)
Our team split into multiple groups to research titanium manufacturing, mobility, and carbon-fiber. By the end of the semester, we will have the modeling and design analysis completed. We expect to complete this project by the beginning of 2023.
NEW HOOK DESIGN
The team redesigned the hook to be made out of stainless steel. There are two main parts: the bottom and the top. The bottom piece is larger and will bear the majority of the weight when lifting. The top part is smaller and clamps shut over the bottom piece to secure the weight. The two pieces are connected with a hinge pin and secured with a wing nut. The wing nut flips up and screws down firmly so that the two pieces cannot separate. The hook underwent FEA testing and withstood high weights.
BUILD PHASE
Our team began the build phase by coating a plaster mold of Greg's hand with thermoplastic, which served as spacer. A carbon fiber template was cut with cloth and the mold was coated with mold release. Then the carbon fiber layering process began. We coated resin onto the mold and the carbon fiber was stippled onto the mold. After the layering process, we vacuum bagged the brace and left it to cure. Once the curing process finished, the carbon fiber was shaped and the team removed the thermoplastic with hot water. We drilled holes in the two layers of carbon fiber in order to prepare for attaching the hook. A layer of foam was sprayed between the two layers. Our team then was able to bolt the manufactured titanium hook into place.
BEN'S HAND PROJECT
Fall 2020
In the spring of 2019, the Quality of Life Plus Student Chapter at Virginia Tech was introduced to Ben, a hardworking student and musician, born without his left hand. A talented pianist, Ben sought to hone his craft using both hands, and requested a prosthetic hand capable of intricate movements required for piano playing.
Given that our chapter's mission is to improve the quality of life, we intended to create a polished finished product for Ben as quickly as we could. However, due to the complexity of this proposal, the our team suggested designing a hand capable of gripping and lifting everyday objects, such as cups and dishware. This plan was approved by Ben and his family because this hand, albeit simpler, could be used in everyday instances, such as during meals, and would be completed in a much shorter timeframe than a more intricate design.
Spring 2019-2020
During the spring 2019 semester, our chapter worked on creating a mold of Ben's arm and testing the linear actuator with pre-designed hand models.
We created a basic design of the model (see top right), beginning with a sleeve that Ben would wear over his arm. Sensors would be placed on Ben's upper arm and the linear actuator would rest on Ben's forearm. Finally, wrist attachment would be used to hold the prosthetic hand in place.
The initial hand testing was done using pre-generated hand models found on GrabCAD. However, since Ben was still a child, a new hand and wrist gauntlet was created with similar measurements as him (see middle right). This model was used for much of the prototyping and testing. Both hands were created via 3-D printers on campus.
With the initial design and 3-D printed models in production, the next step was to test the linear actuator with Ben's muscles (see bottom right). With the readings from the nerve sensors, we could properly code the actuator to tense and loosen the hand when Ben intended to open and close it.
Our club planned to continue working on Ben's hand through the spring of 2021, but the coronavirus pandemic unfortunately halted these plans. Hence, the final designs and assembly could not be completed until the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021.
Fall 2020
We began last fall's semester with goals to finish constructing our code and finalize our model for Ben. Hence, much of our time was focused on updating our CAD model and coding the linear actuator on Arduino. Additionally, the measurements for Ben's hand were updated, since he had grown since the original mold was cast in the spring of 2019.
Our chapter split into an assembly and an electronics team. The assembly squad focused on designing the finger joints so they were compatible with the hardware and code. It was decided that PolyFlex would be the most suitable option given its accessibility and performance.
The electronics subgroup worked on the Arduino code. During the fall semester, our team wrote code that would contract the hand when Ben flexed his arm muscles and released this tension when he stopped flexing his arm.
With Ben's updated arm measurements, we were able to construct a basis for our final CAD (see below) and coding designs. By the end of the semester, our team was confident the Ben's hand would be completed by the spring of 2021
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Spring 2021
With much of the project completed at end of the fall semester, our team sought to finish our designs so we could deliver Ben's hand as soon as possible. From January to March, we made finishing touches to our code and CAD models and assembled Ben's hand.
Through testing our prototype, our coding section was able to work out the bugs in our program and put the final pieces on our CAD model. We added lights to indicate battery life and planned to stray paint the hand gold, in honor of the Infinity Gauntlet from the Avengers movies, which Ben enjoys.
The hand was printed (see above) at team members' houses and all the assembly was done remotely and on an individual basis. With the final hand constructed, our team conducted a final analysis with the hand, linear actuator, and sensors to ensure it was ready to deliver to Ben.
On April 2nd, 2021, we presented Ben with his completed final hand (see below). Our team also adjusted the threshold values for opening and closing the hand to Ben's exact preferences. Due to social distancing guidelines, only a few team members participated in the delivery, but the results were quickly communicated to the remainder of the group.
We are proud to report that Ben uses his new hand daily, and he is able to grip, carry, and release cup and other household objects as he wishes. As the QL+ Student Chapter at Virginia Tech, are happy to have improved Ben's quality of life through this hand project.
ROWING PROJECT
Spring 2019
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BACKGROUND
On June 5, 2016, Denise goes out for her Sunday morning run. She is struck from behind by an SUV that crosses the double yellow line, traveling at over 60 mph. Denise is thrown into a farmer’s field as the driver fled.
Our goals for Denise were to:
Build a device to help aid Denise in rowing a canoe with use of only one arm.
Assist with oar grip, stroke force, and oar stability.
Design the device to be removable, and cause no damage to the canoe.
CONCEPT GENERATION
Our team decided on these criteria:
Mimic a rowing machine
Pedal assistant, incorporate leg strength
Detachable from the boat
Two oars
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PROTOTYPES
The completed prototype was then tested.Â
Both of the parts, the oar and the pedal, were redesigned to improve their capabilities.
DELIVERY
After the prototype was improved, our team created the final product. This was then delivered to Denise in our final presentation.
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DENISE'S BIKE PROJECT
Fall 2019
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BACKGROUND
Our challenger, Denise, sought a bike that could switch gears using only one hand. Thus, our project was to design a gear system that could implement these changes without her right hand.
CONCEPT GENERATION
We split up into teams to brainstorm ideas. Then, we established two final working concepts, both of which had extremely flexible designs.
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PROTOTYPING & TESTING
To prototype and test our design, our team casted a mold. Then, we were able to mold the thermoplastic around the most and develop a brace system.
DELIVERY & USAGE
After we had created that part of the system, Denise informed us that she had found the additional parts she needed for the bike. We presented Denise with our model and this, combined with her new parts, were sufficient for her to use the bike.
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BEDPAN PROJECT
Spring 2019
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BACKGROUND
Wendel uses a urinal at night so that he does not have to walk to the bathroom in the dark during the night. Because it is dark, Wendel cannot tell when the urinal is full. Wendel asked us to design something so that he is able to tell when the urinal is full/getting full.
CONCEPT GENERATION
There were three main concepts conceived during the concept generation process
One was a buoy that rose with the level of urine in the bedpan
One was included multiple sensors to indicate the exact urine level
One included a fluorescent paint strip that lighted up
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PROTOTYPING & TESTING
For prototyping and testing, we:
Used Arduino Micro as the processor
Implemented a temperature sensor to detect the level
Added LED's to indicate when the level bottle has reached capacity
Connected the components to a breadboard for testing
FINAL PRODUCT & DELIVERY
To complete our design, we had to fry four sensors. After that was completed, we delivered the bedpan sensor to Wendel in the Spring of 2019.
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PUTT-PUTT COURSE PROJECT
Fall 2018
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BACKGROUND
In the fall of 2018, QL+ Student Chapter at Virginia Tech was introduced NeuroRestorative, a local rehabilitation center in Blacksburg. We were asked to build a putt-putt (miniature golf) course that met these specifications:
Could be used by patients with varying levels of ability
Easily movable but not too small
Would boost morale, could be completed by any patient within reasonable time
CONCEPT GENERATION
We considered these aspects for our putt-putt course:​
Angled brackets
Ramps
Windmill
Funnel
Toilet seat
Chain
Three hole
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FINAL DESIGN & DELIVERY
With our model fully designed, it was up to team members to build the final project. It was split into three assembly parts. At the end of the fall semester, we delivered the course to NeuroRestorative.
FISHING ROD PROJECT
Fall 2018
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BACKGROUND
In Fall 2018, we were introduced to T.K., a challenger who wished to fish by himself. Previously, T.K. was not able to do this independently due to his wheelchair.Â
We wanted to make a detachable fishing rod holder and reeling system to reel in fish independently from wheelchair with minimal effort. As much of the fishing experience possible is desired to be retained.
CONCEPT GENERATION
When discussing the design, we researched these concepts:
3 Parts
Holding the rod
Detachable arm holding a pvc pipe
Reeling it in
Connecting to battery
Using torque motor to reel in line
Have a knob that increases and decreases speed
Casting the rod
Shooting out the bob: spring loaded
Rocket fishing rod
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PROTOTYPING & DESIGNING
For our model, we decided to use a drill for our reeling mechanisms, buy a fishing rod holder that attaches to a wheelchair, and make a connection piece and case for the reeling mechanism.Â
We then made our prototype and tested it. After testing, we worked out the small issues in our design and designed the final product.
DELIVERY
After designing our final product, it was assembled by the team. We then delivered this project to T.K. at the end of the semester.
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