TEMPERANCE, Mich. (AP) - You might say Braden Gandee just has been given a set of Wonder Wheels.
Working this minor miracle were four University of Michigan mechanical engineering students who have created a new kind of walker for the Temperance boy.
Braden, 8, has cerebral palsy. Like others who have this permanent movement disorder, Braden struggles with walkers on some common terrains.
“Braden’s current walker has larger wheels than most available models and is considered ’all-terrain,’ but he is still limited by its mobility,” his mother, Danielle Gandee, told The Monroe News (https://bit.ly/1zprDYw ). “The walkers on the market do not work well in mulch, gravel, sand, snow or uneven ground.”
I have witnessed this twice since I have known Braden. I saw the struggle in September as he was trying to walk out to the playground at Douglas Road Elementary School in Temperance and most recently in March when he was trying to walk across a parking lot covered with rock salt and concrete cracks to enter the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor.
Once inside the institute, Braden and his family were greeted by four seniors: Ariana Bruno, 21, and Cameron Naderi, 22, both from California; John Doherty, 21, from the United Kingdom, and Scott Wigler, 22, from New Jersey.
The students had arranged to have a 3-D full-body scan of Braden to help them with their group project - creating a customized walker for enhanced mobility on all terrains - for their class, Mechanical Engineering 450: Senior Design and Manufacturing.
“Our hopes are to complete a prototype of a walker that will be easier for him to use in different terrains by modifying a Drive Medical walker,” Bruno said in March.
As the scanning took place, Braden was all smiles. He balanced himself for the scan, holding onto his walker, and the image immediately popped up on a computer screen. The students used the 3-D full-body scan to gather precise measurements. Using these measurements, they could find the critical points where Braden needs enhanced support.
“We wanted to choose a project that would personally and positively impact someone’s life. Most projects that were available were geared towards commercial products, so when we read the description for the project about Braden, it stood out to us. We knew it was the best fit for our group, and we were excited to get to work on it right away,” Naderi said.
The goal was to take a Drive Medical walker and manufacture a way to use larger wheels that are more effective on uneven terrains. The team also wanted to create new, adjustable handlebars for the existing walker.
“The handlebars dictate much of Braden’s posture when using the walker and thus need to be both adjustable and comfortable to allow for proper posture maintenance and improvement,” Naderi said.
As I observed the students working on their design and testing the mobility of the walker using a 55-pound backpack, it was obvious that the students really cared about this project. Watching them look at every little detail so they can make a difference in Braden’s life was inspiring.
“The students working on this project are really super,” said their instructor, Amy Hortop. “They met Braden and some of his family early on in the semester and felt very invested in the project.
“Even though these students are getting ready to graduate and have a lot on their minds outside of our course, this team has really stuck together and put in a lot of time trying to figure out the best approach.”
“After finishing all the verification testing and putting on all the final touches on the walker, I think my team and I are satisfied with the results and achieved what we set forth to do,” Bruno said. “We learned a great amount of skills from this project that we will be able to carry on with us into our future careers. We are happy we were able to end our undergraduate careers with a project that may truly make a difference in someone’s life.”
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Information from: Monroe News, https://www.monroenews.com
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