First and foremost, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our new subscribers. Your support has been incredible, and we're thrilled to have you on board as we embark on this exciting journey. Your interest in our project has been the driving force behind our commitment to making a positive impact, and we can't thank you enough for joining us.
For those who are new to our project, here's a brief introduction: We are Team RLNT<, a group of senior standing mechanical engineering students from the University of Houston, and we're working on an innovative solution known as the Wheelchair Hill Assist Device. This project was initiated to address the physical challenges faced by manual wheelchair users, particularly when navigating wheelchair ramps. Our aim is to significantly reduce the energy expenditure required to climb ramps while ensuring the device is easily attachable and detachable from the wheelchair.
Since our last blog update, our team has been hard at work, and we're thrilled to share that we've made substantial progress. Our latest achievement is the completion of the Statement of Work, a comprehensive document outlining the various aspects of our project. This document serves as a planning guide, breaking down the essential tasks that need to be accomplished, the commitments we've made, and an overview of our year-long project schedule.
You can access the full Statement of Work at the end of this blog post, but here's a brief overview of the new sections we've incorporated:
Project Constraints: We've updated the project constraints to include a more comprehensive set of criteria, including mechanical efficiency, usability, degree of tilt, and adherence to ADA standards like handrails and slope. These constraints are vital in ensuring our device is both safe and functional. The updated constraints can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1: Table of Project Constraints
Constraint | Quantification | Comments |
Max device weight | 51 [lbs] (23.1 [kg]) | |
Weight of assembly | 300 [lbs] (136.1 [kg]) | User, chair, and device |
Water and dust resistance | IP65 Rating | |
Adaptability | 3 or more wheelchairs | |
Battery life | 20,000 [mAh] | Equation A2_1 - A2_4 |
Mechanical efficiency | Minimum 61.5% mechanical efficiency with N=2 | Equation A2_4 |
Usability | Wheelchair must be movable when device is on or off | |
Temperature | Within 5°F of maximum operating temperature of electronics | |
Degree of tilt | ≤ Normal direction of ramp + 5° | |
Handrail | Device must be usable on ramps with or without handrails | ADA regulation |
Slope | ≤ 1:12 or 4.76° | ADA regulation |
Validation Plan: Our Validation Plan has been revamped to account for these new constraints and provide a more detailed outline for other validations. It is an essential part of ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of our Wheelchair Hill Assist Device.
Project Plan - Milestone 3: This milestone has been expanded to include more in-depth analyses, such as stress concentration and thermal parameters for the battery. Additionally, we've adopted a different method for battery selection to optimize the device's performance.
Statement of Goal: We've explicitly stated our project's main goal, which is to reduce the energy expenditure of manual wheelchair users by at least 50%.
Deliverables: We've outlined the key deliverables we'll provide, including the physical prototype, design calculations, technical drawings, specifications, Bill of Materials, testing verification document, standard operating procedure, and a user manual.
Gantt Chart: We've created a Gantt chart to guide us through the various project milestones. This will help ensure we stay on track and meet our projected completion dates.
Resources: We've identified the resources we'll be using throughout the project, such as Syvanna Lee, who is our main client and user, as well as other professionals who will provide valuable insights.
The Wheelchair Hill Assist Device project has reached an exciting phase, and we're incredibly grateful for your support and engagement. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to work on this innovative solution, with the goal of making a meaningful impact in the lives of manual wheelchair users.
For the complete Statement of Work, please refer to the document below.
Thank you for being part of our journey, and we're looking forward to sharing more updates soon.
Best regards,
Team RLNT<
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