1. Balance Training Bicycle
Senior Design Project 8001
Team Members : Jonathan Bawas (EE), Carl Mangelsdorf (ME), James Nardo (ME), Jeffrey Tempest (ME), Jennifer Zelasko (IE)
Faculty Guide : Elizabeth DeBartolo, Ph.D.
December - Planning
Interview Customer
Develop Customer Needs
December – Concept Development
Benchmarking
Concept Generation
Concept Evaluations
Pick the Concept!
January – System Level Design
Risk Assessment
Proof of Functionality
February – Detailed Design
Bill of Materials
Detailed Drawings
Review with Customer
Risk Mitigation
March - Construction
Gather Materials
Assembly
April – Test
Functionality
Performance
Debugging
May – Field Demo
Deliver Bike to Customer
Technical Paper
Problem
Patients with neurological disorders who require physical therapy training on a stationary bicycle may experience a challenge of balance when transitioning to a traditional bicycle.
Customer
Physical Therapy Clinic at Nazareth College
J.J. Mowder-Tinney, PT, MS, NCS, CWS
Project Timeline
Key Objectives
1. Design a mechanical system that mimics the lateral movements of a traditional bicycle.
2. Design and implement a control system to enable variable resistance of bicycle leaning characteristics.
3. Provide feedback to the patient and PT to indicate specific angles at which balance requires correcting, or imminent tip over conditions are present.
Design Specifications and Test Results
*values highlighted in yellow are the values achieved on the final prototype
Specification Number
Customer Need Number
Design Specification
Importance To Customer
Unit of Measure
Marginal Value
Ideal Value
Test Result
Most Important 1
3,10,22, 7
Safe 9
Binary
Pass
All foreseeable hazards in the FMEA have been counteracted. 2
1,2,5,16,18,19
Tilt Range
Degrees
0 - 8
0 - 15
Usable range for patients was determined to be 10.5 degrees. 3
Levels of Tilt
Levels
Infinite
Inifnite levels of tilt with winch control. 4
10,22
Upright Locked Position
Force test passed. 5
Tilt Resistance Range
Lbs
0 to >150 6
3,21
Auditory Feedback of Tilt
Decibels
Piezo audio indicators range from 60 dB to 81 dB. 7
4, 17
Non-alternating Handle Bars
Traditional handlebars used. 8
10, 12
Seat Height Range (pedal to seat)
Inches
<27 to >34
Actual range: inches.
10, 13
Handlebar Height (vertical dist. - seat to handlebar)
9 - 10
<9 to >10
Actual range: inches at each seat height 10
10, 14
Handlebar Reach (horizontal dist. - seat to handlebar)
<15 to >19
Actual range: inches. 11
Cross member height
0 - 24
<12
Actual Height: 5 inches 12 13
Bike Capacity
Capable of withstanding atleast 310 lbs.
Visual Feedback of Tilt
Fail
Survey test passed. 14
7, 14
Portability - Force needed to transport bike 51
<51
Max force needed to lift rear of bike: 50 lbs 15
Pedal Resistance
Ft-Lbs
Constant
Variable
Pedal resistance is variable with friction knob adjustment. 16
9, 12
Seat Size
>10
Seat width: 12 inches 17
Adjustment Tools -
Basic Tools
Hand
All adjstments can be made by hand. 18
7, 20
Force needed to bring patient to Upright Locked Position
No manual force required. Winch can be used to upright patient. 19
Service Intervals
Frequency
Once/year
Never
Bearings and pulleys must be greased once per year.
Least Important 20
Color
Visual and Audio Feedback Display
Telescoping Seat Height w/ Pin-lock
Pivoting Arm w/ Locked Positions
Pillow Block Ball Bearing To Allow Lateral Tilt (X2)
Pedal With Built In Resistance Knob (Purchase)
Wheels For Portability
Spring compression adjusted with Winch
Winch Placement
Pulley Mechanism
Pin-lock control for upright “Locked Position”
Winch Remote Control
Potential Future Improvements
1) Integrate winch with feedback system to automatically adjust level of tilt, and eliminate the need for the therapist to manually adjust range of tilt. 2) Use magnetic resistance pedal assembly in place of friction resistance assembly. 3) Construct frame from lightweight aluminum.
A special thanks to the National Science Foundation for sponsoring our project, as well as G&G Fitness, and Bert’s Bikes for your generous contributions.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
ENGINEERING @
R I T
Senior Design
MERIT
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. BES Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.