ATDF 2008 Casey Judge Dan Higgins Mike Harradon David Muchene

Our Client  Peter Morency  Age 17  Junior at Lowell Catholic High School  Suffered a stroke at just ten days old  Has cerebral palsy  Lost total motor control over the left side of body

What is his main problem?  Tying shoes  Has to wear special drawstring shoes  Cannot tie laces  Would love to be able to wear shoes he likes the looks of

Possible Solution #1  Light up shoes- make his drawstring shoes more aesthetically pleasing with the addition of fun lights.  Problem- common product already on the market

Possible Solution #2  Radio shoes- make ordinary shoes more fun with radio that turns on when one walks  Problem- very annoying

Possible Solution #3  Muscle Wire Shoes- Laces made with muscle wire and tighten when electric current sent through them. Hooks would hold shoe closed after contraction.

Pros and Cons (rated 1-5) 5=best 1=worst  Safety – 4  Long lasting- 3 (reusable yet might need to be replaced over time)  Original- 5  Helpful – 5  Size – 5  Affordable- 5  Possible to build?- 3

Possible Idea #4  Automatically zippering shoes- use a pully system zip and unzip shoes

Pros and Cons  Safety- 5  Long lasting – 4  Original-5  Helpful – 5  Size – 2 (could get bulky)  Affordable – 2 (may require lots of parts)  Possible to Build? - 3

Possible Solution #5  Hydraulic shoes- hinged at the toe, and opens with hydraulics  Problem- Overly complicated, clunky.

Possible Solution #6  “Roll down Shoes”- shoes with tops that roll down  Problem- Unrealistic and difficult engineering

Possible Solution #7  Handheld Shoe Tying device – utility that would tighten standard shoes  Problems- Device would need to be carried around Little added functionality

Possible Solution #8  Muscle wire controlled zipper – Muscle wire would be attached to zipper and contracted to open or close it.

Pros and Cons  Safety- 4  Long lasting – 3  Original-5  Helpful – 5  Size – 2 (may be large)  Affordable – 2 (muscle wire is expensive)  Possible to Build? - 2

Possible Solution #9  Automatically velcroing shoes – Muscle wire pulls velcro over to hold shoe closed  Problems- Does not fix attractiveness of shoe. Complex design

Possible Solution #10  Electromagnets hold shoe together – Electromagnets on either side of the shoe are turned on to pull shoe tight  Problems- Very strong electromagnets would be needed Would require much battery power.

Final Conclusion  Solution #3 Muscle wire pulls sides together Hooks latch upon contact Battery pack contained in heel Activated by remote or emergency button on shoes. Hooks release upon repeated contraction of muscle wire.

Costs Shoes$30 Sewing Hooks$5 Batteries$5 Muscle wire$40 Various electronics$10 Total$90

Thank you for your time! Assistive Technology Design Fair 2008 Casey Judge, Dan Higgins, Mike Harradon, David Muchene