This project designs a Steam Roller Deep Pressure Play Device and Cuddle Box to provide controlled, calming deep-pressure sensory input for children with special needs. The devices prioritize safety, adjustability, and comfort to support sensory regulation, therapeutic play, and improved engagement in learning and play environments.
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), where the brain struggles to organize and respond to information coming through the senses. This frequently manifests as sensory seeking or sensory avoidance, leading to high levels of anxiety, physical restlessness, when the environment becomes overwhelming. Some of these children with this disorder, once overwhelmed enjoy the pressure on their body and the sensation of being hugged calms them down. So, we have been tasked with building a deep pressure play roller, and a cuddle box for said kids. First, the pressure roller. The rollers would be made of a softer foam material so it wouldn’t hurt the kids when they crawl through it, but it would provide a good amount of pressure on their bodies that they would find calming and enjoyable. Now for the cuddle box, it would be made of a sturdy frame and a soft elastic fabric for the middle of it used for the actual “cuddling”. It is designed for the kids to be able to crawl onto, and the kids would sink down surrounding them in the fabric as I said “cuddling” them making them feel like they are being hugged. This hugging sensation makes helps them feel safe and calm down. Both of these sensory devices allow for user-less operation and provides the kids opportunity to independently suffice their sensory needs, and calm them down.
Design specifications for Steamroller:
Type of Pressure: Dynamic (rolling)
Design specifications for Cuddle Box:
Type of Pressure: Static (hugging)
Mutual needs:
To be able to truly combine these two sensory objects mechanical and sensory pressure application must be fully understood. The deep pressure for these kids with autism improves attention, self-regulation, and reduces anxiety. Things like weighted blankets, firm hugs, and compression garments are normally used for this deep pressure need. The steam roller and the cuddle box give a more aggressive approach to solving that problem. The steamroller and cuddle box showed to the right have a combined price of about 1400 dollars. That is a very large price for a fairly simple mechanical mechanism. Finding ways to combine the two produces without losing the full sensory capacity of each one has questions that can be answer through background research. Does the foam in the rollers need to the soft or hard? The answer is soft because the rollers are not made for muscle relief like many people might use them for. They are all about pressure and how much they can sink into the kid. The ideal foam would allow the kid to sink into it but be just fir enough to allow the kid to feel the pressure. Good options for this are (EPP) expanded polypropylene foam and memory foam. They are durable foams that should not crumble over time and should meet the sensory need. The rollers are going to be used a lot so just foam on the outside will denigrate over time, so we need a covering round them. For this we could use vinyl (PVC coating) this should allow for the kids to easily go through the device nonmatter what because of the smooth thin layer on the rollers. Next thing to look is the residence bands, inkstand of making them from scratch we found the exact bands used in the steam roller so piercing them will be the best option.
This concept is based around the fact of combining the steamroller and the cuddle box. The challenge here is to meet all the deep sensory benefits that each product gives individually. This concept is based around the fact of taking the steamroller and adding on to it. Making a second attachable/detachable component that can deliver on the hugging stimulation the cuddle box gives. To do this we have to completely redefine a cuddle box. The idea is to still get the immersion feeling in the second portion of the tunnel. For the second part there will be vertical rectangles cut out of each right and left side of each panel. Inside each rectangle there will be a flat weighted object that has the geometry to only move up and down inside the panel. A fabric sheet will be taken by all four corners and attached to all four weighted blocks. This will allow the fabric to evenly and constantly be rapping the kid like a hug. The kid will easily be able to push up and get out of the fabric, because the range of motion up and down will be so great.
For the second concept we designed a hook that will connect to frame of the cuddle box. This will create a solid structure connected with the deep pressure play device. We will have to make sure there are slots in the deep pressure play that the hook can fit into. On the right you can see the hook and the slot design we will have for the deep pressure play device. The hooks will be able to pivot so there will be an easy disconnect between both of the devices. The hooks should also be stiff enough and snug enough around the pole that it will create almost a completely rigid figure between both devices. To create the poles on the cuddle box we could use something like camping polls then slide them in a CAD made 3-part connection. This should create an optimal design and give the therapist exactly what they described.
This concept is a reiteration of concept 1. (The steamroller portion of the tunnel will stay the same no matter what) For concept 3 there will not be rollers on the bottom of the second part of the tunnel instead it will be a sea of fabric just like a traditional cuddle box. The only problem faced with this is supporting the weight of a kid with thin layers of fabric, so the ideal is to have a safety net. The kid should be able to sink into the two layers of fabric but if they go too far, they will be stopped by the net. This should allow the fabric not to rip and break over time. The last question ask is how far can the kid sink into the fabric? With the current height off the ground the kid cannot sink far without hitting the ground, so in concept one part B that is fixed. The cuddle box portion of the tunnel is raised higher than the steam roller. For a fully immersive tunnel we need to add a transition piece with a step for a smooth transition. This should elevate the stimulation of the cuddle box part to the same if not greater level of the original cuddle box shown in background research.
Selected Design: Concept 3 A/B
This concept had the highest score because it hits on all the marks for pressure needs. This design might be a little more costly and complex than the others, but the finished product will outweigh those cons.
We chose to pick concept 3B because it executed on the most overall sensory needs. This concept changed slightly by removing the top fabric layer that was supposed to come on top of the kid. This made the side panel for the cuddle box simpler and cut down on safety hazers. The drawling below shows the full design of the side panels. These panels plan to be wooden with fully rounded edges. The wooden panels in this design will make the panels supper easy to paint so we can make it a train theme.
Important aspects to this design are the fully removeable/adjustable sheets of spandex material. We plan on attaching 4 ratchets straps to the side of the cuddle box panel. These 4 straps will be attached to the fabric via a small metal plate to eventually distribute the tension of the ratchet straps. The metal plates will be screwed together holding the fabric in place. There will be a hole in the middle of the metal plate that the rachet strap will attach onto. The design will allow the therapist to make the fabric as tight as their patient wants it. This will also allow for the therapist to wash the fabric. Lastly the therapist will be able to replace the fabric sheets down the road if they get too stretched out. The next integration we made was instead of 3D printing the hook rack on the side of the steamroller panel we decided to just screw hooks in at different levels. The next thing is how we are going to build the foam rollers. First, we are going to take a wooden rod and slide of two EPP foam rollers that will make the total length of them 24” long. Then we are going to rap 3” Polyurethane Foam around the rollers. That will all be covered by Vinyl Coated Polyester.
We ran more of an experiment for our first analysis. We ordered nylon spandex fabric (80% Nylon, 20% Spandex Swimsuit Material Activewear) and our goal was to break/rip it. We started with a 30-pound dumbbell which it held easily. Then we moved on to a person that weighs about 150 pounds. With this person in it the fabric sagged down 20 inches and held him 2 inches off the ground. To be able to hold him off the ground we took a 23-inch section and stretched it to 30 inches. That information lets us have a rough guess on how tight we should start off stretching the material. We also know we now need the layers of fabric at least 2 foot off the ground. The second part of this experiment was to see if we could permanently stretch the fabric. We loaded up to a 210-pound person into the fabric and slung him around to create maximum distress onto the fabric. After we revaluated the fabric and saw negligible permanent deformation. This was a short test and not one that shows the deformation over extended amount of time. To combat that we plan on making the sheets easily removeable for replacement and washing, plus ways to make fabric tighter.
On the right you will see the deformation equation for the wooden rod which will be roller and will support all of the weight of the child. Based on the deformation formula on the right it shows a single wooden rod under a 200lb load will deform less that a thousandth of an inch which is unrecognizable. This makes it very safe considering that there will be two wooden rods that are identical holding the weight of the child. Therefore the bottom rollers on the steam roller should be able very capable of supporting 400lbs or more. In most scenarios they will only be experiencing a force of about 100lbs or less. In conclusion the wooden rods that are 1.5 inches thick and 30 inches in length will preform extremely well when supporting the child’s weight.
For our materials we had various options we pulled three different options, then picked the best for each major component. We based our selection of the materials on prioritizing durability, comfort, and structural stability while trying to be as safe as possible for the kids. One example of a material we picked and why is, the fabric of the cuddle box we chose the lycra (spandex) fabric since it had the best strength to weight ratio of the materials, while maintaining a middle range cost. Another example is why we chose the hardwood dowel for the frame of the pin itself. Unlike the fabric which is the most optimal choice due to the stated reason, it is right in the middle of our choices, while the pvc doesn’t offer enough, the steel rods way overshoot our parameters to a degree where it’s just too much.
For the cuddle box testing we used our friend Jacob and Tate. Jacob weighing around 160 and Tate 200, each during test the cuddle box easily withstood the pressure. Therefore fulfilling its purpose.
For the rollers we used Jacob again as he went through the roller it put pressure on his body without causing pain or discomfort.
Thus, completing the testing, with both of our pieces completing their desired purposes flawlessly
Cuddle box:
1. never leave a child alone in the cuddle box
2.make sure child is positioned to where it does not block breathing
3.optionally add a pillow if that makes it more comfortable for the child
4. Make sure to limit time on sessions in the box, to around 15 minutes recommended
5. Make sure to clean and sanitize after use
6. inspect box weekly
Deep pressure play roller:
1. Make sure children using roller are under supervision
2. Limit session tomes
3. Never allow children to pass through the roller too fast or horse play with it
4. Make sure child does not have any pre-existing conditions, such as heart or breathing problems, open sores or rashes, fragile bones, or seizures.
This project was a beneficial experience for our group because it allowed us to apply
engineering design skills to create a meaningful product for children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD) and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Our team designed and fabricated a
Steam Roller Deep Pressure Play Device and Cuddle Box that delivers calming sensory input
through pressure and compression. Throughout the project, we researched sensory therapy
methods, compared multiple design concepts, selected materials, and tested our design to ensure
it was safe, adjustable, and durable for the children to use. We also completed engineering
analysis on the fabric and structural supports to make sure that the device could safely withstand
the expected loads during use. During fabrication, we learned how important adaptability and
problem solving are since several parts of the build required alterations from our original plan.
Using tools such as the jig saw, lathe, and 3D printer gave us additional hands-on manufacturing
experience and increased our confidence working through design challenges.
Overall, this project strengthened our teamwork, communication, and engineering skills
while giving us the chance to create something that could have a positive impact on children with
sensory needs. Each group member contributed to different stages of the project including
research, fabrication, testing, and documentation, which helped the project move efficiently and
effectively. The final testing demonstrated that both the cuddle box and rollers performed as
intended by providing safe and comfortable pressure without causing discomfort. Finishing this
project showed us how engineering can be used to increase quality of life and create solutions
that directly benefit others.
