University of Tennessee – Chattanooga engineering students recently designed an award-winning assistive device for a local teen with muscular dystrophy. Their project received a Certificate of Excellence for Most Outstanding Project in the 2015 CECS Design Showcase.
The 14-year-old MacKenzie currently uses a scooter to move through his high school campus. The teen has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy that deteriorates more quickly than other forms of the disease.
The disease is characterized by fatigue and muscle deterioration leading to difficulty moving and walking. Mackenzie does not currently use a wheelchair and because his scooter does not fit into the school restroom, he has to leave it in the hall in order to walk into the restroom.
The engineering students at UTC looked at these challenges and set out to solve them in a way that would enable MacKenzie to maintain his independence.
“We wanted to design something that encompassed the features of, say, a support system near the toilet, something he could put on the wall to hold onto and a cane because we wanted him to be able to walk to the stall safely and to be able to sit and stand safely,” said Cody Flowers, one of the engineers on the design team.
The device they ended up with resembles a cane and measures 30 inches from the base when used in the vertical position as a cane and when used in the horizontal position as a pull bar braced between a wall and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant handicap railing.
The design and height are specific to MacKenzie, but it could easily be made adjustable to other heights by incorporating a telescopic structure into the main body of the device.
The team originally intended to build the device with welded lightweight steel, but the availability of this material became problematic.
Instead, the team adapted the design so that it could be made out of aluminum parts that were then riveted together. Going with rivets instead of welding, however, presented some building challenges.
“We had to drill into some very tight areas to make sure it’s stable. We also encountered some areas that needed extra stability, so we added more brackets and cross-bracing,” said Dillon Grider, another engineer on the team.
The design is lightweight and mobile, so that MacKenzie can take it with him and use it wherever he goes, and in any washroom with a handrail.
“It was rewarding, getting to help someone out. One of the best parts is that we could stop by Chattanooga Christian School in a month or two and see him using this device we made. And that’s what we hoped would happen. We wanted him to be able to use it for as long as possible and we wanted his life to be enriched,” said team member Erik Dale.
“I think that’s an important idea, that we can become engineers and create things that actually help people and make the world better,” said Hector Gultierrez, the engineering student who drew the initial design concept.
The team is looking into patenting its design through the school.
For more information, visit the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga website