Recent Updates
Date: 11/14 Current status of project: Working on design specifics. Work completed in the last week: We met with Dr. Okamoto and went over important details to keep in mind while figuring out the mechanisms and picking materials. The mechanism we are running with for the moment is a scissor mechanism for moving the seat back and forth. We are also working on drop down supports, but we may assume outriggers are attached to the base of the wheelchair for the sake of getting the scissoring mechanism designed first. Work planned for next week: Continuing calculations. Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work: None at this time. Date: 10/31 Current status of project: Final concept selected. Work completed in the last week: Went over design choices and assessed them according to criteria discussed with Dr. Gray as well as criteria generated by ourselves. Presented oral and written progress reports 10/24. Work planned for next week: Starting to think of calculations and other details necessary to start preliminary design work. Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work: A meeting with our mechanical engineering consultant, Dr. Okamoto, will be arranged to talk about the details we need to consider when starting preliminary design work ups. Date: 10/17/11Current status of project: Working on designsWork completed in the last week: We met up with our mentor and discussed the design ideas that we had. We received contact information for people to ask for wheelchair schematics and began to contact them.Work planned for next week: Continue to contact people for wheelchair schematics. Create a pros/cons chart for each design idea.Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work:We may possibly need approval of the criteria for our pros/cons chart depending on the amount of work accomplished this week.Date: 10/10Current status of project: Brainstorming of concepts done, final concept to be selected this week.Work completed in the last week: Went over design concepts presented in preliminary report; Gary met with Dr. Gray 10/7/11 to discuss which concept seems the most attractive. Dr. Gray has given Gary a list of contacts for obtaining detailed schematics of power wheelchairs, and he will be in contact throughout the following week.Webpage launched 10/5/11.Work planned for next week: We will pick a concept to pursue and begin work on the progress report.Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work:None at this time.Date: 10/2Current status of project: Working on designsWork completed in the last week: Wrote our preliminary report and worked on the presentation. Discussed possible designs for our project.Work planned for next week:Work out more details on each design idea and discuss each one's pros and cons. Try to decide on a design idea to focus on.Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work: Consultation with our mentor on the design ideas.
Date: 9/26
Current status of project: Brainstorming of concepts done, final concept to be selected within a week. Work completed in the last week: Generated a list of ideas to pursue, such as sliding table, ramp, air bladder, and reverse exit from the wheelchair onto the bed. Finalized list of forseeable duties and who would take care of what. Also set preliminary work schedule that would have us with a detailed schematic by the end of the semester. Dr. Ruth Okamoto from Mechanical Engineering has agreed to check over our work periodically through the semester to ensure a safe wheelchair design. Work planned for next week: We will pick a concept to pursue and lauch a webpage that chronicles our work. Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work: We will contact Dr. Gray to work out a regular time to meet and discuss the project.
Date: 9/19 Current status of project: Recently started Work completed in the last week: Met with Dr. Kovacs, Cori Zarem (Dr. Pineda's group), and Dr. Gray to talk about project ideas. After talking with all of them, we decided to work on a project with Dr. Gray to create a wheelchair that makes it easier for someone with paralysis to be moved from the wheelchair to a bed. Work planned for next week: We will begin researching on wheelchairs to see if there are any current methods that target our problem. We will also begin to brainstorm different designs for our project. Anything needed from mentor/client or TA or instructor to continue work: We will contact Dr. Gray to work out a regular time to meet and discuss the project. |
Who We Are
Gary Ye, Tyger Howell
BME 401 - Senior Design students at Washington University in St. Louis
Purpose
We aim to create a detailed schematic for a chair that will make chair to bed transfers easier for caregivers and patients of varying ability.
