Team Members
John Adler, Carley Daniele, Sebastian Diaz, Manae Kokubun, Matthew Musial, Marc Navetta, and Camille Rodriguez
Abstract
The “Get Up and Go” Gait(or) Aid is a lift and harness system that provides offset weight support for users undergoing neuromuscular rehabilitation on elliptical machines. The user is strapped into a harness that accommodates users in wheelchairs, as there is a chest strap to initially lift the user out of the chair, then leg and waist straps can be adjusted when suspended. The user is lifted by a single-cable overhead suspension system that has two separate control methods: 1) static lift mode and 2) dynamic weight offset mode. In static lift mode, a remote-controlled motor turns a winch to advance or retract the cable, statically raising or lowering the user. Once the user is suspended, they are moved over top of the elliptical machine with the translational system. This is accomplished with wheels at the bottom of the carbon steel frame. The frame consists of four vertical uprights connected with two horizontal bars on top and supported by two bars on bottom. When the user is ready to begin exercising the dynamic weight offset mode is enabled. A failsafe safety brake is applied to the motor so the tension in the cable is set to the desired weight offset through a series elastic actuation structure within the suspension system. Safety mechanisms within the system include security ropes, a self-retracting line, pressure sensors, and an emergency stop button. The whole system is symmetric and can be used from either side, and is also not constrained by anything in the room.