Adapted Rowing Machine

Inspiration

Inspiration

We were inspired by Helen's desire to be active and maintain a higher degree of independence in her daily routine. She wanted to be able to row with the help of only one volunteer who was not specially trained for the task of rowing. We worked with Helen to understand her journey from the MBTA's transit, to arriving onsite 30 minutes early to her rowing class, to cleaning up, and to returning onto the ride again. What struck us was Helen's desire for an adaptable solution, one that would change as she regained strength. Our main goals were to develop an ERG system that can be assembled by Helen and the help of one other person. The system needed to be simple and intuitive.

What it does

We broke down the problem into a series of multiple steps: cleanup, warmup, exercise, and breakdown. In terms of purpose, our solution enables an aid to help Helen into the rowing seat as opposed to needing a minimum of two volunteers to help. Our elevation solution removes the need for a 50 pound weight, which is cumbersome to lift and difficult to move. It allows for adjustable stabilization. Whereas her prior solution required a 45 pound weight, our solution eliminated that weight entirely, while still allowing Helen to remain entirely stabilized. Helen also wanted to be able to contribute to the cleanup process, so by elimination the majority of the heavy lifting involved, our solution enabled Helen to take part in the cleanup process in addition to the set up.

How I built it

We created a seat lock, so an aid is able to transfer Helen into the ERG seat without the rowing machine moving. We also created a stepped lift for the rowing machine to improve Helen's posture when moving the machine and to allow for scalability in terms of resistance. As Helen regains strength, she can adjust the ERG machine to a lower step, increasing the difficulty of the rowing and allowing Helen to further her fitness journey. We eliminated the 45 pound weight. Reframing the problem of Helen's rowing machine, we utilized the resistance between the wall and the less muscularly developed side of her body to create an easier overall experience.

Challenges I ran into

The stabilized mechanism was a challenge as it was difficult to create a part that was sturdily attached to the ERG machine while also being easily detachable (so as to avoid permanent damage on the ERG machine). We overcame this by approaching the problem from a different angle. Instead of attaching an additional piece of hardware to the rowing machine, we leveraged a weight belt that Helen had already incorporated into her workout routine as a source of stabilization.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

We are proud of the relationship that we were able to build with Helen throughout this process. Because we felt like we really got to know Helen throughout this process, we were more fully able to comprehend the problem that needed to be solved. This allowed us to generate solutions that would meet Helen's true needs.

What I learned

We learned about the difficulties of integration, but we also learned more about the intricacies of creating an assertive device. Furthermore, in talking with Helen about a day in her life, we gained a greater sense of empathy about the difficulties faced everyday by individuals with disabilities.

What's next for AT Hack 2020: Team Helen

In the future, it would be interesting to further develop the prototypes that we have started today, as well as possibly developing a fully accessible rowing machine for individuals with limited mobility. Additionally, AT Hack gave us insight into Helen's life, but learning more about her day-to-day will help us to continue to develop and improve her workout routine.