Since Spring 2023, Dr. Brandon Sargent has guided students in improving wheelchair comfort and safety over uneven or bumpy surfaces. Specifically, manual (non-powered) wheelchairs can be unsafe when rolled over rough surfaces such as brick walkways. There currently is not a cost-effective solution.
Students studied the typical vibration patterns and have been designing, building, and testing a solution that can become a commercialized project.
As of Fall 2024, a group of five students prepared the improved wheelchair design for human trials and are submitting a test plan to the University Patent Committee. The project received a McDonald Work Award for the 2024-25 academic year.
