StrideFree

StrideFree is the first hands-free crutch that works for people with full leg injuries/casts and has a unique foot and ankle design to act more like a natural human foot.

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Inspiration

StrideFree is based on other hands-free crutches but takes where it started and runs with it. We wanted to tackle a new injury/impairment that hasn't been addressed before which is a full leg injury with a full leg crutch. We also wanted it to act like a human leg as much as possible so we implemented a unique foot and ankle design that tries to mimic parts of the human body by compressing under weight and being able to move on a pivot axis.

What it does

StrideFree is a hands-free crutch for users with full leg casts that allow them to move around without the help of others and allows them to be on their feet all day.

How we built it

We first started by doing background research into crutch design issues with crutches and the types of injuries or conditions where crutches are used as a solution. We found existing alternatives to crutches and were able to find a hole in the market where there were users to be served. This was people with injuries requiring a full leg cast. We then used human factor methodologies to better understand our users and the constraints that we will run into. Then we started to develop our prototype in CAD and iterated based on issues that we saw such as clearances and pressure on the leg.

Challenges we ran into

We faced issues with trying to do all of this in a single weekend and get everything ready in time.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Getting everything together in one weekend.

What we learned

We learned more about human factor methodologies and understanding users.

What's next for StrideFree

Doing user testing and building a prototype. As well as continuing to iterate on this first prototype.

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