FitNest Senior Capstone Project
Challenge
Every year 10,000 babies are born with cerebral palsy and due to insurance limitations these at risk babies only receive therapy once a week for about 30 minutes. Additionally, the mind has an incredible ability, known as neuroplasticity, which peaks at birth. Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to rewire itself when practicing a skill for a long period of time. This tells us that we have to have lots of therapy and as soon as possible. Early therapy coupled with increased exposure can give these babies a better quality of life by improving their motor function.
Fabricated Parts
Solution
After meeting with multiple physical therapists and learning about exercise ball therapy used on children. We developed a 2 degree of freedom tilting platform that mimics this therapy to activate core muscles. The idea was prototyped using PVC piping and manual tilting to test and see if Gwen,a healthy baby, was actively using her muscles. Additionally, this test allowed us to determine tilt angles and tilt speeds for Gwen. This prototype inspired the FitNest.
Result
The design was modeled and analyzed to ensure that the baby would remain safe on the device while staying active. Things considered were the shear of critical bolts, buckling of the quad 8020 center joint, stress on the universal joints, and safety factor of the custom harness. All design specifications were met and a professional therapist confirmed that the device was stimulating Gwen's muscles. This Capstone Project received The Excellence in Mechanical Engineering award, winning $3000.