Prototype Update

Description

The hands free crutch prototype will consist of a bent foot plate, a curved foot plate, supporting legs, a tie rod, a curved ball, a knee rest, a thigh wrap, and everything will be put together using springs, screws, bolts and hinges. It is important to select material that will be able to withstand the maximum stress that the product will endure. The foot plates and supporting legs will be made of aluminum due to them being a large portion of the design as well as wanting a light weight product. The bent foot plate will serve as a foot rest and will be coupled with a curved foot plate, to accommodate for different shoe sizes. Everything will be assembled mechanically.

Validation

Our project is a feasible solution to making sure to have access to the use of your hands, even with a lower body injury. Throughout this project, we will be able to build something that should be able to be used by anyone, since the product can be adjusted. The project should be able to validate all the analyses we run on it and prove that this product will work. The proper force distribution, weight requirement as well as the adjustability will validate the use of the product. We know that this product may not be invincible, which is why determining the force distribution and how it will affect different parts of the the product, using FEA, will help confirm that the material we chose and the shape of the product will be able to work for the user.

Status

Components are done being fabricated.

Complete assembly will be from May 5-8, 2018.

Fabrication

The Hands Free Crutch is in process of being fabricated in UB’s MAE machine shop using the following processes:

Milling

Drilling

Welding

Materials

The following materials are available for building components of the Hands Free Crutch as needed:

Aluminum: grade 6061-T6511, 24 in. x 24 in. plate, 0.1875 in. thickness
Aluminum: grade 6061-T6511, 1.25” O.D. x 30 in. tube, 0.083 in. thickness
PVC pipe, Schedule 80, 3/4" (1.05" O.D.) x 5 ft.
Stainless steel: grade 304, 0.75 in x 24 in. bar, 0.1875 in thickness
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Sheet, 4 in . x 48 in., 0.125 in thickness
Super-Cushioning Ultra-Conformable Foam Sheet, Anti-static Polyurethane, 24 in. x 24 in. 1.5 in. thickness
Super-Cushioning Ultra-Conformable Foam Sheet, Anti-static Polyurethane, 24 in. x 24 in., 0.5 in. thickness

Commercially Available Items

The following components are commercially available and shall be used in the assembly of the Hands Free Crutch.

Nylon cinching straps
Loop clamps
Push-on round caps
Two-arm knob
Flat Philips head screws
Flanged wing nuts
Hex head screws
Nylon spacers
Quick release post clamp
Elevator Bolts
Adhesive backed rubber strip

Assembling the Prototype

Completed Assembly

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