Redesign of Rolling Quad Cane to Assist Independent Living

Overview

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults resulting in $50 billion in healthcare costs per year. In addition to the elderly, many individuals with physical disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy) have difficulty walking and are at risk for fall-related injuries. Current stability devices, like walkers, work well for outdoor activities but are too bulky for indoor use. Canes can provide additional support in living spaces; however, traditional canes need to be lifted off the ground during walking, which may actually increase a person’s falling risk.
Last years capstone group developed a prototype for an individual named, Nancy, who has cerebral palsy and lacks stability throughout her entire stride. The goal of this project is to refine the previous design and make it serve the needs of Nancy so she can have continuous walking support. This newly redesigned rolling cane will reduce fall-related deaths and injuries, enable greater independence in the elderly and disabled, and potentially offer significant commercial opportunities if developed in a large scale setting.

Objectives

– Redesign a rolling cane for Nancy, who has cerebral palsy, to provide continuous support through every step.

– Address Nancy’s needs and where she would like to see improvements in the redesigned cane from: enhancing the stability and durability, creating a more gradual braking mechanism, adjusting the location of the wheels to limit tripping, developing a weight system for portability, and improving the overall aesthetic of the device to increase confidence in the user.

Approach

– Conducted weekly meetings with our sponsor, Dr. Spencer Szczesny, to understand the market, user needs, objectives, design process, and the overall goal of the project

– Communicated with our customer, Nancy, by Zoom video to understand her needs and where the previous device had downfalls or areas of concern that could be addressed going forward

– Participated in weekly group meeting with our advisor and team members to meet deadlines, manage the design process, communicate ideas, and recieve feedback

– Generated concepts by researching current canes and their design patents

– Created concept selection matrices to determine lead design

– Developed a 3D CAD model on SolidWorks as a prototype

– Performed Finite Element Analysis on the rolling cane for displacement and stress test

– Validated design by Zoom video calling Nancy to discuss the 3D model

Outcomes

– A newly redesigned rolling cane prototype that is stable, durable, maneuverable, and is aesthetically pleasing to excude confidence

– The design allows for gradual braking and clearance while walking

– An adjustable cane that allows for portability both in and outside of Nancy’s environment