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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.