Design Projects

Ankle Rehabilitation Steward Platform

The human ankle is one of the most commonly-injured parts of the body. For athletes, damages to this part may result in permanent loss of function if not treated properly. The Kinesiology Lab at The Pennsylvania State University seeks to create a device that will assist in the testing and training of ankles before and after injury for athletic performance optimization.

Current devices in industry do not mimic continuous, natural movement. They do not have intuitive setup, nor can they achieve a full six degrees of freedom. There is no device like the one proposed on the market today, making such a product of special interest financially and in academic research.

The objective of this project was to explore the possibility of creating a Stewart platform and related control system from scratch in the hopes that the results would yield a design cost under that of industry competitors. The design team, consisting of Mechanical and Design Engineers, applied their expertise and experience to produce a high-resolution prototype. This team proved the potential of a Stewart platform to meet the requirements of continuous motion, intuitive use, and full range of motion.

Team: Kevin Kearney | Aoran Peng | Rachel Spellman | Songlin Wu | (Advisor) Sarah Ritter, Ph.D., Professor Charlie Cox

Project Sponsor: Dr. Mike Duffy, Department of Kinesiology, Penn State

The project was done in a group of 5 as an exploration of the potential of a Stewart Platform and force plate combination to assist in the assessment and rehabilitation of human ankles in the specific context of athletes. The final design, produced by a teammate, was chosen due to it fitting the criteria the best, which was finalized into a high-fidelity prototype.

The final high-fidelity prototype that was able to achieve limited six degrees of freedom, a maximum tilt of more than 30 degrees, and a maximum heave distance of more than six inches. The GUI produced was effective in controlling the platform movement, and required little to no instructions to operate.

Athletic Exercise Testing Platform

Athletes strive to improve their technique in order to optimize their performance. One of the most effective ways researchers quantify performance parameters is through the use of force plates. The current platform consists of a steel base structure and top filler materials made with wood. It is incredibly heavy and challenging to transport, leaving much room for improvement. However, the current platform supports reconfigurability and adjustability of force plates and inclines.

The purpose of this project is to design a platform that is lightweight and mobile for researchers and safe for athletes. This is accomplished through the design of a force plate platform made entirely of 80/20 railings and fasteners, multiple filler material designs that are minimized in number, heavy-duty legs that support inclination over variable ranges, and accessories such as wheels, handles, and an adapter plate to secure the force plate to the platform.

The design team, consisting of engineers with expertise in Engineering Design and Mechanical Engineering, utilized their knowledge and experience to develop a functional solution. The platform provides reconfigurability by letting researchers place the force plate(s) at desired locations with 10 cm resolution and to fill the rest of the space with a minimal number of filler pieces. The legs adjust up to 12 degrees. Rotatable wheels make mobility easy. Handles assist in lifting the platform and provide a grip during transportation. Most importantly, the platform is stable and light-weight compared to the current model in use.

Team: Kevin Kearney | Aoran Peng | Rachel Spellman | Songlin Wu | (Advisor) Dr. Sarah Ritter, Ph.D., Professor Charlie Cox

Project Sponsor: Samuel Masters, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology

WABHACKS: Virtual Collaboration Experience Redesign

This project included a Design Thinking process for the challenge of: How to Improve Virtual Collaboration in a world where Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) seem to be the answer for everything. This process was completed for Rolls-Royce (RR) and includes background research, interviews, persona building, and Fields of Opportunity (FoO). All information relevant to the project and a final solution can be found here.

Data was collected through existing research as well as observations of human interaction during interviews with people of interest. The Fields of Opportunity and personas were established following the testing of prototypes with actual users. These processes and their results will be explained throughout this document and serve as a basis for continuing ideation, prototyping, and testing in the future.

The product, WEBHACKS (a snapshot of its user interface can be seen in the figure above), aims at creating a common space where every participant can have the same opportunity to participant in the meeting. It, in theory, will functions as an addition to the software WebEx that Rolls-Royce is already using, but with additional features such as the designation of roles, setup of meeting outline, and visualization of speaker time.

Team: (Germany) Benedikt Ulrich, Carola Wiedmann, Felix Pohle, Virginia De Salvo | (U.S.) Aoran Peng, Kevin Kearney, Song Li Wu, Rachel Spellman | (Advisor) Sarah Ritter, Ph.D.

Sponsor: Rolls Royce

GUI Redesign: Low Cost haptic feedback Needle Insertaion Simulator (LCNIS)

Although needle insertion remains a crucial part of medicine practice, there still exists a gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world practice with live patients. To help bridge this gap, the Low-Cost Needle Insertion Simulator, or the LCNIS, is developed to assist students in gaining more confidence through simulated practice. It does so first through its physical design, which include a physical needle insertion device that can give the feeling of puncturing through multiple layers of human flesh. Its user-interface then provides a variety of simulation options as well as performance feedback that can aid in the improvement of student skills. With these key features, the LCNIS hopes to give students a cheap and yet realistic way of practicing needle insertion without the stress and pressure associated with performing on patients. This project hopes to (1) learn about the current needle insertion education as well as gather feedback on the LCNIS prototype, and (2) use this information to construct a more effective user interface for the LCNIS.

Publication: HFES Proceedings (SAGE Journals)