“Lift Me Up” Device
By Gupta, Ankit; Haac, Jillian; Khan, Nabil; Rao, Vishal; Goldberg, Richard; Caves, Kevin; RESNA 2010 Student Design Competition,Publication Date: May 19, 2010
Article outlines the development of an assistive device that allows a child with lower limb paralysis to move between the wheelchair and the floor with the assistance of one person. The Lift Me Up device was designed by engineering students at the University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill for a girl 8 years of age with spinal cord injury and good upper extremity strength. The device has two platforms, the top of which moves up and down, its principle of operation being similar to that of an adjustable office chair. A scissor lift, consisting of two sets of diagonal arms attached to each of the corners of the top and bottom platform, raises and lowers the upper platform with the aid of a lever. A lockable gas spring inside the frame of the bottom platform is used as the force to control the raising and lowering of the top platform. An armrest system allows the client to de-weight herself from the top platform in order for the gas spring to extend and the top platform to rise. A 5 inch ramp extending from the platform directs the user’s legs away from the lift mechanism when in use, and a wooden backrest attached between the armrests assures that the user stays in place during transfer. Weighing 30 pounds and with wheels attached to the lower platform, the lift device is portable for use at home and at school. The Lift Me Up device was an entry in the RESNA 2010 Student Design Competition. The article includes a short video showing the device in operation.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) (Web Site: http://www.aac-rerc.com )
Link to text: http://aac-rerc.psu.edu/wordpressmu/RESNA-SDC/2010/05/19/lift-me-up-device-university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/
