The Portable Seat for Improved Posture

Technical Skills

<aside> 📌 Computer-Aided 3D Design and Modelling

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<aside> 📌 Sketching and Prototyping

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<aside> 📌 Laser Cutting

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<aside> 📌 Technical Report Writing

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Interpersonal Skills

<aside> 📌 Innovation and Creativity

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<aside> 📌 Collaboration and Teamwork

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<aside> 📌 Time Management and Task Management

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<aside> 📌 Pitching and Presenting

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Project Summary

Overview

Design Project 4 was centered around the creation of a design catered to the specific needs of a client. The client, in this case, was a 58-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who currently relies on a scooter for mobility purposes, her husband for certain physical tasks, and a personal support worker otherwise. The client complained of a drop-foot in her left leg, grip issues in her left hand, balance and postural stability issues while seated on her scooter chair, and feet that dangle above the scooter’s base. We decided to design a portable seat with angle-adjustable leg rests that can be placed overtop of a chair to accommodate the client’s needs — not only while on her scooter chair, but while seated on any chair.

Objectives

• Should improve posture
• Should be easy to integrate into daily life and activities
• Should allow the user to stay in place for extended periods without discomfort
• Should be able to be used with limited to no grip strength in one arm
• Should be location-independent and/or portable

Constraints

• Must be safe and simple to use
• Must be able to be used within existing accessibility infrastructure
• Must be accommodated to client’s anatomy

Functions

• Improves movement
• Supports independence

The Design Process

Concept Sketches

At first, we were confused about how to tackle the many discomforts the client expressed. I suggested we focus exclusively on one or two main sources of discomfort rather than attempting to resolve all of them. Thus, for our first design concept sketches, we tasked each other to come up with at least 2 sketches to present.

We evaluated each idea using a Pugh matrix with criteria including safety, comfort, mobility, portability, postural benefit, and user-friendliness. Based on these criteria, the two most popular ideas were, first, my idea of a new chair with elevated angle-adjustable leg rests and, second, a teammate’s idea of a new chair with foam cushioning and the ability to recline.

My personal concept sketch of elevated leg rests, which tied for the highest score in our Pugh matrix.

The personal concept sketch of a teammate, which tied my elevated angle-adjustable leg rest concept for the highest Pugh matrix score.

Both of these concepts heavily lacked portability. I and my group realized we failed to consider that the client’s inability to sit on the scooter chair was the result of their short legs rather than the chair itself. Therefore, we decided we wanted to make our design a compact, cushion-like object that can be carried from place to place — in other words, a seat.