Eb is someone who is very active and tries to be outdoors whenever she can. Her hobbies include hiking, swimming, and horseback riding.  She is a very active person and in our project we aim to assist her while doing some of these activities. When we talked to her,  she said she had a hard time going up hills and off terrain.She also said her arms got tired from hiking long distances. In our prototypes we designed interchangeable parts so EB does not have to leave her original chair. Some of these extensions include a off terrain and snow design that can be put on the bottom of her wheelchair instead of her original parts. Another idea we had was to make a chair with more wheel assist to help Eb when her arms got tired.   Next week I would like to talk EB again and then really dive in to building our projects. Some precedents to our projects are suspension cars like dune buggies, a tank, and interchangeable parts.

Jackson and I are working on solving a problem for Tanis. Tanis has muscular dystrophy and therefore, struggles with the ability to move his arms and other body parts. Tanis has a hard time raising his hand, especially in class when he has a question so our goal is to create a device to help him raise his hand. We have come up with an idea that is similar to a pulley system. Tanis places his arm through a velcro strap attached to his wheeled chair which is also attached to a board above the arm of his wheeled chair. He then uses a rope with his other hand that is attached to the board on the arm of his wheeled chair which then raises his arm. by doing this, Tanis is still putting work to raise his arm and using his muscles. Another idea we had was to create something electronically so that when he raises his arm a little then he also gets the help that pushes his arm up all the way. Once again this allows Tanis to still use his arms and do strength, just adds a little bit of help. Furthermore, we are hoping to email Tanis to figure out what his exact range of motions are and what he can/can not do.  Jackson and I will continue to create our prototype of the first idea and hopefully, when we see Tanis again we can take exact measurements to make to device comfortable and hear his opinion. 

E.B. is interested in all-terrain adventures, including hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. E.B. is in a wheelchair that she is comfortable in, which presents unique difficulties when hiking. Her normal wheelchair can't move through snow or over the varied terrain of a hiking trail. The existing devices for skiing for people in wheelchairs are not comfortable for E.B. and have trouble steering and going over varied terrain. 

We are thinking of solving the problem by adapting E.B.'s wheelchair that she uses every day to be able to go in snow and over varied terrain. Ronan and I right now are thinking of doing this by creating different attachments we can add to E.B.'s wheelchair instead of the wheels to allow it to go over snow and bumpy/rocky terrain. We have so far prototyped a tank tread attachment, a steerable ski attachment, and suspension wheels. 

Next week, I want to work out the more mechanical details on how we would power the attachments. I would also want to work on making larger-scale prototypes that actually function. During our visit to Waypoint, I would like to talk to E.B. and figure which activities she wants to do to help us decide which attachments we will focus on. 

Straussberg St. Denis: A Lesson in Musical Happiness

Please write about: the problem you're solving and the ways in which you are thinking about solving that problems. This should be at least 4 sentences

Our problem is less of a tangible issue that Sarah has to deal with, and more of an aspiration we want to provide her with the tools to reach. Sarah expressed interest in drumming, but because of her difficulties with holding objects and controlling the movements in her arms and one of her legs, we had to come up with a way to provide a drum kit that is accessible to her. In my original sketches, I developed ideas that allow her to utilize her good arm and good leg, with different attachments to her chair so she doesn't have to change her environment to access the drums. Once Nick and I converged ideas, we came up with four main parameters to meet in order to make this project successful and beneficial for Sarah: having different types of drums in a drum kit, using both her hand(s) and foot/feet to slowly gain more control of her body, having a way to improve at drumming to experience it in full, and a way to include her occasional spastic movements—rewarding them with drum noises instead of trying to stop them. Our most recent draft was a table attached to the handlebars of a wheelchair, with two pedals that attach to the foot rest.

Next week, I would like to begin modeling our first official draft in rhino, identifying any design issues that arise, and creating a list of resources/technology we will need.

Nico is a 15-year old who loves to play basketball. However, as he is in a wheelchair, he is not able to reach the hoop when shooting the ball. Aveen and I are working on a system to help him shoot the ball into the hoop.

We are looking at this problem in two different ways. The first way is a system that would add momentum to his shooting motion and arm. The second way is a system that would make it harder for him to shoot and work on his shooting muscles so that when he removes the system it is easier for him to shoot the ball higher and further.

For the first idea, we have different methods of resolving the problems. We thought of a sort of spring attached to Nico's body or his chair that would spring up when he shot the ball and add momentum to his shot. We also thought of a brace that would go around his elbow and that would also have a spring, therefore helping the shot too.

For the second idea, we thought of something similar to the elbow brace but instead of having a spring that would help his shot, we would have a different mechanism where he would have to work harder to extend his elbow, therefore working on his shooting muscles. We also thought of the possibility to build a mini-hoop, much lower than the average hoop, to help him practice while having fun. 

Next week, we will start designing the last idea's prototype and finish the other prototypes. We will decide which idea we want to pursue and hopefully meet or skype with Nico in order to discuss the idea and get his feedback and maybe some demands or suggestions. Then we will start designing a more complex prototype.

Max and I have a strong interest in music and we really want to create this drumset for Sara. We do not only want to create something to make sound, but also a realistic kit so she can visually see the drums she is hitting. With the board and pedal idea, we want to help her use her hands and feet. It would be great if this can help her multitask and move and maybe even make some cool beats.

1. Please watch "I am not your inspiration"

2. Under the Updates Tab, please:

• Post at least 3 pictures or scans of your sketches
• Please write about:
  •  the problem you're solving and the ways in which you are thinking about solving that problems. This should be at least 4 sentences
  • what you are planning to do next week

3. Under the Precedents Tab

• Please post at least 3 precedents in the "precedents" tab of your project.