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A Challenging Project
Knowledge Meets Curiosity
I started with this simple premise: What if I took all the best qualities of a knee scooter and all the best qualities of a crutch and combined the two into a knee-scooter/crutch? I asked myself: how do I make my model sturdy and durable, but also make it adjustable and foldable so that it can be transformed from a knee scooter to a crutch and back again?
I spent MANY hours after school in the engineering room creating multiple prototypes (my first one was made out of cardstock). I was constantly modifying my design and improving it with each new model I built. For instance, when it came to steering, I created early models out of large sheets of rolled up paper and based those designs off of the Razor Scooter designs. But when I couldn't figure out how to fold it up, I switched gears and modeled later prototypes off of a cart in the Engineering room. Like the cart in the classroom, I put swivel casters in the front of the scooter and stationary casters in the back. I found that I could easily steer the scooter and it would still fold up nicely in crutch form. I ran into problems like this in all aspects of the design, especially with regard to the seat shape, seat hinges, 90-degree locks for the scooter and 180-degress locks for the crutch, and in some cases, I just had to 3D print the parts I needed.
Throughout this website, you will see that I faced many problems along the way, and was able to solve many of them through solid research, testing, and multiple redesigns.
MY INSPIRATION FOR
STEP IT UP
When I first started brainstorming my STEAM Capstone Project, I knew I wanted to create something that would help people and I knew I wanted to focus that help towards people who struggled to get around by themselves due to mobility issues.
My main inspiration came from my grandmother. From a young age, she has had countless surgeries and has been in a wheel chair for most of my life. It has been impossible for her to get up stairs and curbs without help from others. I originally set out to design a portable ramp for people like my grandmother, who are in wheelchairs, so they could climb small sets of stairs with ease, and without needed help from others.
It was in my early research that I came up with the idea of a "scooter crutch". I see many students around my own school in crutches and others on knee scooters and got to thinking: these are both great tools, but they both have their limitations. Why not try to combine the two?
Ultimately, I decided to shift my focus on creating the first knee-scooter/crutch combo. I wanted to design something that could help people with broken legs get around easier. I wanted to ensure that they could get around safely, confidently, and independently.