8/5/2021 Lexi Larson
Written by Lexi Larson
During the fall semester of 2019, a team of students from the Society for Engineering Mechanics (SEM) began working to create a disability assistive device for an Illinois alumnus.
The initial team consisted of Kyle Halie, Ben Wyckoff, Thao-Vien Bui, Anthony Valiaveedu, and David Anderson-Nelson, the initial project lead. This team created the first design plan for the device, which aimed to assist the alumnus in walking. The team worked from scratch for the client’s first ever assistive walking device. They focused on ease of transportation, ease of assembly, and the proposed goal of helping him walk.
The SEM team researched various disability assistive devices to narrow down which type of device would work best, before determining the exact measurements that would provide the support their client needed. After that, the initial construction began.
While the team was able to construct a few joints to test out before Covid hit, they were unable to test them due to lab and instructional facilities closing. Ultimately, the entire project was halted in May of 2020.
As facilities began opening again in May of 2021, the makeup of the team morphed to include a new project lead, Spencer Pond, as well as new team members Matthew Biewalski, and Mason Sotomayor, alongside Halie, Wyckoff, Bui, Valiaveedu, and Anderson-Nelson – and they were finally able to complete the project.
As with any complex project, they faced challenges with their initial design. They found that the joints constructed one year prior now failed, requiring the team to go back to the beginning. An in-depth analysis led to the development of a new joint and frame design, resulting in a stronger device.
The team also consulted UIUC’s Office of Disability Resource and Educational Services (DRES), and the client helped the team understand the problem at hand better, resulting in a better device. This research also opened many teammates' eyes to the hardships that people of different ability levels face.
Upon completion of the revised design, the team took it through various testing, which included varying both height and weight. After the device passed the lab testing phase the client was able to test it in the real world, giving it his stamp of approval.
The SEM students agreed that their teamwork and effective communication throughout the project allowed them to maintain contact throughout the pandemic and through evolving team members and project leads. They said their collaborative work on every aspect helped increase the quality of the final device. This project also required the use of various tools provided by the MechSE Department, allowing team members to gain new skills using the woodshop and machining tools.
“SEM appreciates the staff in MechSE who helped make this project possible: Stephanie Ott-Monsivais for helping us with the logistics and purchases, Sean Latterell for processing all our orders within the department, and Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs, Professor Sanjiv Sinha for helping us with the transportation of the device,” Valiaveedu said.