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Ezra Powell, 2.5 year old with severe autism. Likes over-stimulation, to be squeezed and he likes to run into things. Parents would like something that would keep him occupied while outside so he does not wander away. This sensory box would ideally be an inside and outside contraption that would satisfy his likes.
1. What exists already, similar products 2. availability 3. identify gaps in existing products or technology to be addressed
For squeezing some products do exist, but are either too expensive, or may not offer enough stimulation for Ezra. The squeeze roller cost ~$550 and we believe we can design and build one much more affordably. Additionally think the squeeze pod won’t offer enough stimulation to keep Ezra occupied while outside.
Sensory Box with Squeezing rollers and wack a mole with other possible fillers.
This design is for a collapsable sensory box featuring a foam lined interior and a few toys on the exterior. There would also be squeeze rollers in one of the walls
Concept three would be much like the squeezer already mentioned in the background research. However, we could fabricate it much more affordably and customize it for Ezra’s size and liking. We could use textures on the pillows that Ezra likes and also put other toys on the frame of it to help keep Ezra engaged.
Our design includes four rollers, two of which are static, made of a soft foam covered in fabric that squeeze the child firmly and safely. The top two rollers will be tensioned by bungee cords and the bottom two rollers remain static. The two tensioned rollers are able to move because they are mounted to a swinging arm and the rollers are all mounted to the frame using bushings made out of plastic (delrin). The rollers and foam are mounted onto a piece of 2in PVC pipe.
Static loading analysis was run within Solidworks on the full assembly assuming a 125lb load and resulted in the stress distribution shown below and a minimum factor of safety well over 3.
Static loading analysis was run within Solidworks on the beam pillow assembly assuming a 125lb load and resulted in the stress distribution shown below and a minimum factor of safety well over 3. We also ensured that the PVC pipe will deflect no more than 5 thousandths of an inch.
We were also able to use the mass properties tool in solidworks to ensure the machine is light enough to be moved by one adult and the machine is not top heavy to prevent tipping over. Solidworks predicts that the machine will weigh 35lbs.
