Engineering students innovate wheelchair-accessible fitness equipment

A crew of 5 engineering college students from the University of Ottawa has developed a prototype that is reworking the health expertise for people with mobility challenges. The prototype makes a normal Concept2 rower wheelchair accessible, offering elevated alternatives for bodily exercise and well-being.

The venture, a part of a second-year engineering design course, was initiated in response to a request from Brian Robitaille, a program coordinator with the City of Ottawa. Robitaille, who just lately obtained the town’s Creativity and Innovation Champion award for his work on the venture, acknowledged the necessity for extra accessible health choices.

The prototype has been efficiently applied on the Jack Purcell Community Centre in Centretown, the place it is already making an affect. “We have obtained testimonials from quite a few shoppers with mobility points who’ve benefited from having the ability to use the Concept2 machine,” says Etienne Borm, a member of the scholar crew. “This tools supplies a much-needed alternative for upper-body energy coaching with out requiring shoppers to be transferred from their wheelchairs.”

Hanan Anis, director of the School of Engineering Design and Teaching Innovation, Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Design course professor, says, “This prototype is a testomony to the ingenuity and problem-solving abilities of our college students. It is a chief instance of how engineering can be utilized to create tangible options that enhance the lives of others.”

The scholar crew, composed of Etienne Borm, Alyssa Carter, Noah Cummings, Abdullah Ramadan and Rémi Thomas Richard, is happy with the affect of its work. Their venture highlights the potential of engineering schooling to drive innovation and deal with real-world challenges.