Multi-Purpose Piston-Powered Walker (MP3W)

Inspiration

Using our personal experience as a base, we identified a series of key areas where the compromised mobility and strength stemming from the operation and subsequent post-operation pain and muscle atrophy hindered the ability to conduct daily activities independently and without issues. These issues are exaggerated to an extent, where it is assumed that the leg is mainly rigid without the ability to bend at the knee. 
From this we decided to pursue a solution that can help patients sit down and get up as well as help them climb stairs as they both prevent the patient from travelling independently and reducing reliance on and need for help. From personal experience as well, those issues were particularly annoying to deal with and require more extensive solutions as compared to other issues. Other issues we identified can be resolved by introducing stable points of contact for the patient to use for moving without relying on or agitating their injury. Though we primarily focused on solving sitting down and climbing stairs through the design process, our product also provides a viable solution and aide to other identified issues as well.

What it does

Our team designed a Multi-Purpose Piston-Powered Walker (MP3-Walker) that is intended to assist the user in going up and down stairs, sitting down and getting up, as well as in the normal expected capacity as a walker. The MP3 walker has a similar structure to a regular walker. However, the upper body of the walker is able to hinge under the power of an air-actuated cylinder. Additionally, fold out seats are attached to the walker, giving the walker a sleek profile for when it is being used as a walker while also allowing for easy access and use when necessary. Additionally, ergonomic hand grips as well as forearm rest allow for easy manipulation and use of the walker and allow for comfortable resting ones body weight on the walker. Following are simplified user instructions for operating the walker.

How we built it

A 3D CAD of the MP3 Walker was created using Fusion 360 software, including all parts and a complete assembly.

Challenges we ran into

Getting a working and satisfactory design for the MP3 Walker was extremely difficult as we had to run through many iterations of designs to get a design that incorporated all the functionality we wanted it to have. A big problem we had was with the sizing of the ligament arms, as they make a big difference in the distance that the walker travels vertically. However, they also effect the ergonomics of the walker in normal use as well.