OnTrack Rehabilitation Balance Board
Year
2019 - 2020
Role
Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, Prototyping, Motor Control System, Design Patent
Tech Involved
Solidworks, CNC Mill, 3D Printer, Water-jet Cutter
OnTrack Rehabilitation is a start-up trying to quantify concussion evaluation and rehabilitation. The current methodology of treating concussion is very subjective relative to other medical conditions. By creating a balance board that can track the center of balance of the patients while varying the degree of stability, the data can be used in order to quantify the progress of the patients with higher fidelity. After their first prototype, they wanted a lighter, more consistent device, leading to a patented design.
The original prototype made by OnTrack Rehabilitation was too heavy and tall for versatile use in clinics and field sidelines. The new design needed to increase the amount of stability adjustment available in order to fully rehabilitate the patients while bringing both the weight and the height down to safer standards.
Numerous designs were explored and prototyped, including a motor resistance model in which the recurring current in the motor would fight against the movement of the patient. Ultimately a system consisting of adjustable spring with steel cable to convert the vertical force to a horizontal force was chosen.
The board was analyzed for strength to see if it was capable of supporting up to 400 pounds of weight using Solidworks Finite Element Analysis.
Finally, the board was constructed with 3D prints to test out parts before machining them on CNC mill and water-jet cutter.
Final product cannot be displayed due to the patent process.