Adding Helpful Carrier Devices to Crutches
This student-created carrier device holds a notebook.Copyright 2013 Thomas Oliva, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
People using crutches have their hands occupied, which makes it difficult to carry books and other items they want to have handy. Student teams work through the engineering design process as they are challenged to design assistive devices that modify crutches to help people carry things such as books and school supplies. Given a list of constraints, including a device weight limit and minimum load capacity, groups brainstorm ideas and then make detailed plans for their best solutions. They create prototypes and then test for functionality by loading them and using them, making improvements with each iteration. At a concluding design expo, teams present their concepts and demonstrate their final prototype devices.
This open-ended design project requires the use of a general fabrication shop or, at a minimum, an assortment of hand and power tools to support students’ designs and material choices.
- a wide variety of construction and fastener materials for device fabrication, such as woods, plastics, metals, cardboard, foam core board, fabric, string, rope, nails, screws, nuts and bolts, staples, grommets, clamps, needles and thread, Velcro, zip ties
- an assortment of fabrication tools to work with the materials, such as tape measures, scissors, duct tape, adhesives, twine, hammers, screwdrivers, drill/bits, sewing machine, hand/power saws
- a few pairs of crutches, one per group is ideal
- scale, for measuring weight up to ~5 pounds
- depending on the tools used, ear and eye protection
- computers with Internet access, for research
Note: To scale down for elementary-level students, have them create simple devices designed to hold small, lightweight objects using the most basic materials such as cardboard and tape.
Contributors
Denise W. Carlson
Supporting Program
Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
Acknowledgements
This maker challenge was inspired by the Design a Carrying Device for People Using Crutches activity that was created by Worcester Polytechnic Institute in collaboration with the Worcester Public Schools.
Copyright
2017 by Regents of the University of Colorado