McMains

Nuvu Brief

Cam Dumas

Cameron Dumas

Design Studio

December 14, 2017

Reflection

At the beginning of the year, we met the kids at the mcmains center that were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. When diagnosed you may not have the ability to throw and catch a ball with their friends, peers, and family. To fix that we decided to design a ball throwing/catapult device that will allow them to have the same feeling as if they were throwing it themselves.


On the first day we began to brainstorm what our ball device might look like and what we can use to make it. We brainstormed and came up with a device that will sort of looks like ladder golf. We thought this was the best solution so far because it is the best way for the ball to be thrown at a soft and slow rate. After we started constructing two types of prototypes in two different styles. The first was our ball throwing device to mimic ladder golf. The second was a more complex device that throws it much farther. It consist of a spring and a latch that you can adjust to throw farther and slower which was inspired by a pitching machine. We drifted away from our first prototype and decided to go with the one similar to a pitching machine. Our next steps was to begin making it out of cardboard and coming up with solutions that would make it more stable and functional. Next we planned on using on a second iteration out of cardboard using our rhino skills cut from the laser cutter. We accomplished a lot up to this point and through testing believed that the rubber band and stretch band work the best for the prototype. Mrs. Estremera gave us some tip on how to add the hinge and the elastic strap to make the arm function properly. When the McMains visitor came we discussed our current prototype and talked about how it can be used by kids with the ability to pull a lever or press a button. There are similar devices like the available to the public, but they are harder to use. We are very excited to see the final outcome of our project. The name we came up with to present to McMains is “Geaux Throw”. We went with this name because it was a catchy and fun way to describe our contraption without saying what it does in the name. From McMain’s received some helpful feedback and were able to implement it into our project. We decided that if we used a two gear and ratchet system to have the student attach to the wheelchair it would assist in allowing children of all abilities to interact with our device.  We also began to draw and think about what materials we could use for our final project. We came up with a handle that they use to throw to dogs balls. It is easier to hold the ball or whatever we are using to throw. Tomorrow we will CAD and create our ideas on gear generator and auto inventor to finalize our ideas and almost be ready complete our final build. We decided to use a motor to function the ball thrower instead of doing a manual system. It will still be able to be functioned by the student but it will be a button in the base and a button on top for kids with walkers. We got the motor to work with a stable and strong spring so that the ball can be launched far and work properly.

After testing our final production, wiring, and constructing our ball thrower, we realized how much hard work, sweat, iterations, and prototypes go into this process. We appreciate companies that do things like this a lot more because a lot it takes a lot of time and money to get a final product. We also can’t wait to see the kids faces when we give them our projects and have fun with them. It was a long but fun process and we love how it turned out.  

Project Brief

Jack Morganti

Blow Boats is a boat racing game / zen garden for kids with Cerebral Palsy. It is engineered to be easy for kids with disabilities to use and to have a relaxing effect on the kids when not in use.


Blow Boats is a game that was custom made for a child, who loved boats, at McMains Developmental Center in Baton Rouge. The Project started out as just a boat racing game but it eventually evolved into a dual-purpose game installment that doubles as a zen garden for the children.

The creation of our project was a journey and was very bumpy almost the whole way through. We equated our teamwork to a failing marital couple. Although this wasn’t far from the truth, the challenges forced us to rethink our opinions and work together to overcome them. When we started to work together and listen to each other’s ideas, we began to work faster and overcome more problems.

We decided to center the project around metal working, so that it could be a permanent installation. We were able to visit a local metal fabrication company, River City Metal Fabricators, to build this portion of our project and learn about the metal fabrication process. At this company we learned about future job opportunities and what small local businesses struggle with.

Because there are not many games available to children with cerebral palsy that can accomodate more than one child, we created this multiplayer boat racing game. We hope that our project impacts the lives of these kids by allowing them to play with each other and grow through interactions made because of our project.

Brief

Grant Grantham

DRAwER: An assistive robotic arm for those with Cerebral Palsy (CP). This project aids with opening drawers and cabinets to allow those with CP to be more independent and take on a larger role helping others around the house.

The DRAwER project idea was conceived after visiting McMains Children’s Developmental Center and seeing a 15-year-old boy named Andrew, who has Cerebral Palsy, practicing everyday functions (making himself a snack, brushing his teeth, etc.) that are taken for granted by otherwise healthy people. This observation of Andrew training to be more independent spurred the idea of other challenges he may face doing basic chores/functions. One major challenge was the difficulty of opening a drawer for someone, like Andrew, with Cerebral Palsy. This is a basic task for those without CP, but for those with it, it could be a daunting and an almost impossible one. So, this gave way to the idea of how can the task of opening a drawer could also help someone with CP become a more integral part in their family’s daily chores and tasks. The DRAwER project makes the task of opening a drawer easier for people with CP by allowing them to control an arm that is more dexterous, strong, and maneuverable than their own.

The design of the DRAwER project changed greatly over several different models, all vastly different from each other, but all with the same goal in mind. The design of the DRAwER revolved around reaching varying heights of drawers and having the structural integrity to open them. The first design ideas consisted of a jointed arm and a vertical track with an arm that moved up and down. The jointed arm proved to be the better design. Eventually several prototypes were made and improvements to the design followed. The initial idea was to have a suction cup that would attach to the front of the drawer to allow the arm to open it. This idea arose to avoid the complications of creating a claw that would attach to every different type of handle. The first prototype was constructed out of straws and featured a suction cup at the end. Then, a cardboard prototype was constructed of the arm, featuring “U” shaped pieces/brackets that would form the arm structure. After further refining of the design, a wooden prototype was constructed using threaded rods to keep it together and provide structural support. Then the decision was made to drop the suction cup idea in favor for a claw-like device or “hook,” as the suction cup design proved to be too complicated. It was then, after much work on this design and many complications that followed, that another, better design was introduced.

This design featured a main arm that would rotate on an axle which would move forwards and backwards. This, in turn, would cause the main arm to slide along a support arm that would be in the front center of the chassis, moving main arm up and down. This design was initially sketched, and the first prototype was made using straws, popsicle sticks, and brads. Then a better prototype was constructed using cardboard pieces to construct the base. Using this information as a result of trial and error, and many measurements, a final iteration was designed and constructed using laser-cut wooden pieces designed in Rhino. The final iteration consists of a wooden base structure, secured with braces, with a track system in which bearings run along where a metal rod is used as the axle. The arms are constructed out of laser-cut wooden pieces as well, and rotate around the metal rod. The support arm is constructed using wood and secured using metal braces. It features a metal rod at the top to allow the two arms to run along it with bearings, doubling as another set of tracks. This final iteration was the result of many months of trial and error. Although not entirely completed, the final iteration of the DRAwER project paved the path for what could come about in the future and it sets a precedent in aiding those with CP to perform functions such as opening a drawer.

Brief

Dyani Robarge and Andrew Gould

Kids Mist: A tool that allows kids with CP to engage in more water activities outside.


The project first started with the idea of helping kids with CP water plants in their garden. The first idea was an irrigation system that would allow the kids to automatically water the plants with a press of a button. However, a few problems we ran into included the danger of using electricity near water and they also wanted it to be more interactive. So we came up with an idea of a water gun that would fit on the side of the chair. This idea sounded well because it was easy to use and enabled the kids to interact with their environment. It took us a while to come up with a final product and that was because we tested every idea we came up with. It took a while to learn Fusion 360 which was used for prototyping.


Our hope is that this game will allow kids with CP to play around with their friends and family. This product allows kids to pull water from a water bottle that will be close by them and shoot it out of a cannon. It exists for the sole purpose of helping kids engage outside and have more recreational options. This was made by designing each part in a 3D modelling software and using a 3D printer. Electronics were used to create the button and help the cannon function. Kids Mist will help kids with CP bond with friends and family and, most importantly, have fun.

Video

Noah Dupree
IMG_0225-1.m4v

Project Brief

Noah Dupree

Geaux Throw allows children with CP or other development disabilities to participate in playing catch, whether it be with friends or a pet.

We first got the idea for this project when we first went to McMains and noticed how all of their toys were meant for younger kids, not really for teenagers. We began to think of thinks that we enjoyed doing that children with disabilities may not be able to do. The Geaux Throw is a device that gives children with developmental disabilities to live a more normal life and participate in sports with their friends and or pets. By the push of a button, a gear and spring allows the throwing arm to launch the ball to another person or an open field. 

To construct our project we used tetrix metal, gears, a DC motor, polycarbonate, and rivets. The throwing arm uses a tennis ball thrower that you would use to play fetch with a dog. Our gear is a choo-choo design which is powered by a spring that creates the perfect release. To protect hand and fingers from getting caught in the gear, we built a poly-carb enclosure which is held together by 3D printed joints. Our button is connected to a battery and the motor, which allows the children to easily activate the throwing arm. This will help better society by giving children with disabilities to get more involved and be able to do things people who don’t have disabilities can do. This will cause a spark in their life that they will never forget and make them feel like they are on top of the world. We can’t wait to see the children at McMains put our project to use and see the impact we have made in their lives. 

Brief

Michael Lee

Description: Dogger is designed as a fun game for kids with limited motion. Because it is so simply designed, anyone can play and enjoy it.


Brief: When Dogger was first imagined, it was thought of as a version of the game Frogger. Through plenty of adversity and hard work, the end product was something to be proud of due to its functionality, design, and the creativity involved with it. Although there were many times where my partner and I had problems come up such as getting the right gears, getting the actual game working, and 3D printing, we kept trying to make something we would be happy with and learned a lot in the process.

Dogger

Celia Kiesel

Dogger: A reimagining of the arcade game Frogger. The game is designed to allow children with cerebral palsy to engage in a fun activity with their friends and family.

Children with cerebral palsy struggle to be a part of fun family activities due to their limited mobility. Dogger alleviates this issue by allowing kids to control all of the game pieces of Dogger with the single push of a button. The game utilizes a system of conveyor belts with a DC motor and a stepper motor. They player’s objective is to move a dog game piece across a series of roads covered in many types of obstacles, including 3D printed chickens and cars. A decorative, hand-painted exterior also makes the game appealing to children of all ages. The entire game runs off of two sets of batteries, which can be easily removed and changed out by the user.