Summer 2016 Pedalong development

Mechanical design of a test rig for the pedaling apparatus is complete, materials have been purchased and components are being machined.  All of my mechanical engineering graduate student assistants have found summer internships, but will return in the fall.

To make Pedalong a better therapeutic device, we are developing instrumentation to measure many parameters of use and software to record and display the results. Two electrical engineering graduate students are using an Arduino microprocessor and associated sensors to measure and wirelessly transmit the data to a laptop computer.

My professional expert witness activity has recently included learning about inter partes review of patent claim invalidity.  For more information on my career see rollindix.com.

Complex, but workable design?

CAD work on the 2016 Pedalong will be completed this spring with help from Carlos Amor Gomez. Carlos will use this project to satisfy a requirement of his MS degree from his university in Madrid, Spain.

The design departs from earlier versions in driving the wheelchair by a single, steered front wheel which is pedaled by the seated user.  The primary design challenge (now overcome) was separating steering from pedaling.  Another major benefit of this 2016 design is the ease of coupling it to the front with minimum modification to the wheelchair.

Also, the Pedalong assembly can be rotated to the side to permit unrestricted access to the wheelchair seat and adjustability for user height will allow multi-user applications.

Along with its use in rehab centers, this 2016 Pedalong could provide enjoyable exercise during other hospital stays.

Spring 2015 - revised plan

Latest plan is to design and build a Pedalong attachment to fit on the front of existing wheelchairs.

Design in April followed by summer 2015 construction with testing in the fall.

Sorry for all the delays, but this has been a very tough design challenge!

Holidays 2014 - plan for spring 2015

The 2010 Pedalong is still at David Brown's lab, University of Alabama med school.  People like it, but we all know it's not good enough yet.

I taught CADCAM this fall for the first time in 12 years, and my students' projects on physical therapy equipment were quite interesting.

Starting mid-February a student team and I will undertake yet another design, possibly using permanent magnet electric motors.  Chain drives have proven tricky through about a dozen versions!

If you can't drive the Communists out of Cuba, try something different, right.

Demo video link for 2010 Pedalong

Here's a link to a video demo of the 2010 Pedalong.  It's being tested at the University of Alabama's medical school in Birmingham.  We're still looking for a partner to help fund development and become a part owner.  If you are interested, let me know and I'll send a copy of the recent provisional patent and more.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/crnfn0t510p067q/may31-withvideo%20300.AVI

rollin.dix@gmail.com is the best way to contact me.  and thanks.

Paper describing current and future of Pedalong

PEDALONG – A THERAPEUTIC EXERCISER FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS

Rollin Dix – June 2013

Here is the INTRODUCTION to an 11 page paper summarizing plans and progress - please call me at 773-239-3514 if you want a copy.

This paper describes the continued design, development and testing of a pedaling attachment for wheelchairs “Pedalong” by Patpending Marketing, Inc. The invention is intended to provide therapeutic exercise for stroke, cerebral palsy, MS and other patients, and for the very elderly, . Other possible applications are exercise in early post-operative care and in hospital transport to and from physical therapy. By providing propulsion for the seated user, the Pedalong may promote more interesting and therefore more regular and longer-continued exercise.

The result of our eight-year effort, the Pedalong has a crank and pedals extending forward (and retracting) from beneath the wheelchair on a chain-carrying mast supported under the wheelchair. These pedals propel the wheelchair while a steering handle at armrest height steers it.

My colleague Dr. David Brown's primary research interest is post-stroke rehabilitation. This summer we plan for testing of current prototypes at his Rehabilitation Science Program at the University of Alabama and at the Lakeshore Rehabilitation Center, both in Birmingham.

This paper contains a review of the need for therapeutic exercise equipment, details of our plan for the coming year, a history of the project so far, plans beyond the coming year, a review of the competition, and references.

Plan in April

During the summer Pedalong manufacture and testing should produce ideas for our August NIH proposal.  We're using all available resources while preparing Pedalong for "adaptive fitness" as well as clinical testing.