Capstone 2026 - Wheelchair Accessible Snowplow 

Design an attachment that can be attached to the front of a wheelchair and is capable of clearing wet, heavy snow

What we did

By the end of the project, we designed and built a strong but lightweight snowplow for a powered wheelchair. The design can be attached and detached by the user with no additional help, and boasts ease of use features like T-grip handles for users with limited hand dexterity.  A rubber lip on the bottom of a steel blade eases the navigation of uneven surfaces while maintaining a strong and weatherproof base to push wet and heavy snow. The device can even stand on its own, meaning the user can drive straight up to it and latch on, futher promoting independance and ease of use. 

Why we did it 

I'm very proud of our final product, but not just because of its performance. When it comes to humanitarian solutions for an independent contractor, it feels like there's a different motivation behind designing a successful product. It feels less for about the profit or cost savings and more for the chance to make an impact. So at the end of the day, we did less designing a successful product to make a grade and more designing for the chance to make someone's life better and easier.

How we did it 

The problem was simple, but the process was delicate. We started off by gaining a greater understanding of the expectations placed on us by the school and by the client. Once we had these, we defined our constraints and specifications. Understanding our allotted time and cost as well as how much snow the design could handle were just some of the filters we used to run potential designs through. Finally, in the delicate process of using 3D modelling software and FEA simulations, the designs started rolling though. We analyzed materials, frame robustness and load on the wheelchair. This moved us away from a lifting blade design with a steel frame to a push blade design with an aluminum frame.  We optimized blade angles and determined secure connection points on the wheelchair. This led us from a overhang blade attached to the footrest to a vertical blade attached to the tiedown points on the wheelchair. Finally, we optimized for ease of use. Big handles for low dexterity users, a rubber lip for uneven surfaces and low profile castor wheels to promote stability and mobility are some of the few features that led us to the final design. My role in this project closely resembled a managerial position. While I assisting with design, material selection and calculations, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a team that had stronger technical skills than I did. As a result, I focused my efforts on delegation and facilitation. Setting meetings, communicating deadlines and making sure the tone was set and things got done was most of my contribution to the team.