Assistive Technology: WheelChair Mount
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Grant Nos. P20GM103408 and P20GM109095, and National Science Foundation S-STEM Gateway Scholarships in Biological Sciences under Grant Award No. DUE-1644233. We also acknowledge support from the Biomolecular Research Center at Boise State with funding from the National Science Foundation, Grant Nos. 0619793 and 0923535, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and the Idaho State Board of Education.
Abstract
Our client, Mk, has cerebral palsy. He is unable to use his arms and his speech is highly limited; he types on a communication device with his right foot. Currently the communication device is attached to his wheelchair with a mount that requires assistance to attach and is too large to safely maneuver through doorways. Our group is redesigning the current mount to provide a better way for MK to take his communication device with him around school.
A successful mount will hold the device in two positions, one for typing and another safely stored for traveling between locations. Mk should be able to perform this operation independently. The mount will not pose any safety hazards to Mk, the device, or the people around him and it will not interfere with the function of the wheelchair.
We met with Mk to further understand the problem and found two secure mounting locations. We took extensive measurements of the wheelchair, and created two functioning small scale prototypes. Next, we will select one prototype to machine, bring to Mk for testing, and make adjustments. Ultimately, the adjustable mount will provide Mk with the ability to independently communicate as he travels around his school.
Assistive Technology: WheelChair Mount
Our client, Mk, has cerebral palsy. He is unable to use his arms and his speech is highly limited; he types on a communication device with his right foot. Currently the communication device is attached to his wheelchair with a mount that requires assistance to attach and is too large to safely maneuver through doorways. Our group is redesigning the current mount to provide a better way for MK to take his communication device with him around school.
A successful mount will hold the device in two positions, one for typing and another safely stored for traveling between locations. Mk should be able to perform this operation independently. The mount will not pose any safety hazards to Mk, the device, or the people around him and it will not interfere with the function of the wheelchair.
We met with Mk to further understand the problem and found two secure mounting locations. We took extensive measurements of the wheelchair, and created two functioning small scale prototypes. Next, we will select one prototype to machine, bring to Mk for testing, and make adjustments. Ultimately, the adjustable mount will provide Mk with the ability to independently communicate as he travels around his school.