2021 - 2024

  Current commercial crutch tips are often the cause of slips for crutch users, especially in rainy weather. This project sought to develop a better way to design crutches to prevent slipping.

  The first part of this project was to test commercially available crutch tips to assess the baseline performance of the group. The crutch tips were tested in a variety of situations, including with wet surfaces, oily surfaces, and on surfaces with both water and oil. They were also tested on concrete and smooth Delrin. By far, the most slippage occurred on smooth surfaces containing both water and oil. In the real world, this could be compared to a restaurant during rain or after a spill, or a rainy parking lot.

  The second part of this project involved trying a variety of different base geometries to see if one design out-performed other ones on the wet and oily smooth surface. Prototypes were made by 3D printing molds and molding silicone in them. While a firm result was not achieved, the process allowed us to better understand the variables and design options available.