Project Description:
The project is sponsored by a Baltimore based non-profit Volunteers for Medical Engineering (VME). VME has had multiple requests for motorized therapy swings for local persons with disabilities. Many builds for individual clients have been attempted through project collaborations with undergraduate engineering groups in the past. These projects have achieved limited success due to challenges with power/force requirements and actuation timing.
The goal of this effort is to produce a robust and easily manufacturable powered swing system that VME could utilize for all of its therapy swing requests in the future. The system should be adjustable and able to deal with clients ranging from children to full-sized adults. The resulting design is a system that tracks swing position to drive a motor that in turn pushes the user with appropriate timing. The Spring 2025 effort follows up on the work of a Fall 2024 group who began the project. A delivery of one powered swing is anticipated by the end of the semester and VME expects to utilize this work to build and deliver up to 5-10 therapy swings per year.
