Inspiration
We wanted to create a design at the intersection of accessibility and automotive design. As a group, we discussed what accessibility challenges might be faced in cars. We decided to address accessibility and independence for people with lower body disabilities to drive cars by themselves.
What it does
Our design creates an accessible manner to brake and accelerate a vehicle using only your hands. It can be easily installed into a car seat slider. We have an additional piece that attaches to the steering wheel to make it easier to use the steering wheel with one hand.
How we built it
We designed a simple push/pull mechanism that clamps directly onto the brake and acceleration pedals. When the handle is pulled, the acceleration is pushed. When the handle is pushed, the brake is pushed.
Challenges we ran into
We initially struggled with deciding what software to use for our design. Every team member had a different preference and we weren’t sure what was the best software for collaboration. We settled on OnShape for collaboration but many of our members had to learn the software from scratch. Additionally, we had to resolve compatibility issues after everyone made their individual parts. Finally, we struggled with OnShape’s limited mating options. The software also didn’t support adding a spring, so our final assembly was challenging.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We made a completed, functional assembly utilizing a software that many of us were unfamiliar with. We also worked strongly as a team with consistent collaboration and effective communication.
What we learned
All but one of our team members learned OnShape for the first time this weekend. We also learned how to integrate human-centered design due to our considerations of accessibility challenges in our project.
What's next for Hand-Operated Braking and Acceleration System
We want to create a 3D printed version of design and fit it into an actual car. Though a 3D print wouldn’t be stable enough for use, we want to see how our design would work in the real world.
Built With
- onshape
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