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The goal of this project is to design a device that can assist a set of infants in learning to crawl. We will analyze multiple designs to find the one that best suits our use case.
There are two infants who are getting ready to crawl but do not have the strength or coordination to do so. The children need an assistive device that can reliably support their weight and allow them to crawl unobstructed.
-Frame: It must support the weight of the children, without obstructing their range of motion. It must also fit through doorways as small as 29 inches.
-Harness: the harness must be able to be adjusted to fit both children, and support their torso and head. the harness will need to be removed so that it can be washed.
-Wheels: the wheels must be able to roll over small obstacles, such as thresholds in the house.
-Strength: the frame and harness must be able to support the weight of the children, preferably with room to grow.
-Weight: the entire device must be light enough to be moved by an infant.
for background research/Inspiration, we focused mainly on one device called the Creepster Crawler. This product most closely fit our initial ideas and was suggested to us by the family. It utilizes a 7-point adjustable harness suspended by a 4-wheeled frame. It does not however, provide any head and neck support.
Concept 1 is a 4-wheeled frame that features adjustable legs. The legs can be adjusted to different angles to control the width of the frame and allows easier storage. the harness is attached to the frame using adjustable clips so that it can also be removed. The head support is separate from the body harness so that it can be removed when no longer needed, and features a “ring pad” so that the child can still see through the harness.
Concept 2 is a circular frame with 4 legs attached at the top, and wheels attached at the base. This design features a stance-assist bar on either side so that way the children can progress from crawling to standing. The harness design for this concept is also different. It is more of a large “hammock” rather than a dedicated harness. It features 2 arm and leg holes as well as a face hole for added neck and head support.
Concept 3 is similar to the other designs, the only difference being that it is not a circular nor rectangular frame. The “legs” are connected to each other in order to make it foldable and easier for storage. This design also features a harness so the baby can move freely, with the upper body being the only part of the body being attached to it.
