Students from Los Angeles’ ArtCenter College of Design used 3D printing technology and other technologies to achieve a prototype of a modern version of the walker, the aid that several senior adults rely on to walk.
The group of students constituted of Margaux Reynolds, Jikke van Giffen, Skyler Coppenrath, and Alberto Esses aims at improving the living conditions of people.
In an ethnographic research in physical rehabilitation centers, they firstly tried out different walkers, and discussed with therapists and caregivers as well as users of walkers in order to bring out a number of problems with current walkers, in terms of functionality, performance, portability, and even aesthetics.
The Lio prototype
The walker prototype addresses these issues firstly with a new design that enables a double folding, so the walker is much more portable, at a quarter of its fully-extended size. In order to make the wheels much easier to stop and the aid safer and easier to control, they replaced the standard bicycle-style handgrip brake with an electrical button-push one.
As far as 3D printing is concerned, the technology enabled to solve the issue of discomfort caused by the way the wheel system is built. This discomfort often leads to rattling when a senior makes use of the aid on rougher surfaces. Furthermore, this type of construction also raises excessive vibrations in the hands, which are particularly hard for people to deal with if they suffer from arthritis.
To fix this issue, the group implemented a suspension system for the wheels, 3D printed from a lightweight flexible silicone material, marked by cutouts to absorb shock as much as possible.
Lastly, students added some aesthetics while manufacturing the Lio. According to them, users ”see themselves differently, they feel crippled, they’re not cool, they’re not desirable. The way they see themselves gets changed through the use of the walker.”
https://vimeo.com/247849357
For further information about 3D Printing, follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our newsletter!
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});