Off-Road Wheelchair Challenge
Students further their understanding of the engineering design process (EDP) while being introduced to assistive technology devices and biomedical engineering. They are given a fictional client statement and are tasked to follow the steps of the EDP to design and build small-scale, off-road wheelchair prototypes. As part of the EDP, students identify appropriate materials and demonstrate two methods of representing solutions to their design problem (scale drawings and simple scale models). They test the scale model off-road wheelchairs using spring scales to pull the prototypes across three different simulated off-road surfaces.
Engineering solutions can help people with physical disabilities to take on physical challenges.Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
Engineers follow the engineering design process as they create solutions that improve the lives of many people through the development of assistive technology devices. For example, advancements in wheelchairs, prosthetics, and hearing and visual aid devices illustrate the humanitarian aspect of engineering.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify and describe the steps of the engineering design process.
- Describe how to use the engineering design process to develop solutions to problems.
- Explain the reasons for their selected designs and material choices.