Parkinson's Step Stick

thingiverse

Walking Stick for Parkinson's Disease -------------------------------------------------------- It helps people create another step by visualizing something under their leg, making it easier to walk again when they're stuck. My girlfriend's father has this disease, and we discovered that placing his leg in front of mine helped him take another step. I realized the potential of a simple tool that could facilitate walking with Parkinson's patients. Design: -------- Our product works by attaching a small bar to a classic walking stick or crutch. When pressed, it moves into horizontal position, and when released, the rubber rope returns it to vertical position. The main weight remains on the original stick or crutch. Versions: Version 0: Mercury Cable Attached ----------------------------------- Initially, we attached a mercury cable to a crutch but realized it didn't move at all. This version was completely unsuccessful due to its fragility and lack of functionality. Version 1: Not Very Successful ----------------------------- This iteration used metal string but proved too brittle and broke easily. We learned that using rubber rope is the way forward, although we did make a mistake by choosing metal string in the first place. I included this old version in our downloads as part of the zip file for anyone interested. Version 2: Current Version ------------------------- I rewrote this design from scratch to improve its performance and usability. The entire OpenSCAD file has been commented, making it easy for users to modify it according to their needs. For optimal results, I highly recommend using bearings, which will help achieve smoothness and rigidity. 3D Printed Parts: Holder (ABS): ----------------- A plastic holder is used to grab onto the crutch. It's designed to be printed from two separate pieces that are glued together using ABS glue. Heel Top (ABS): ---------------- This part moves vertically within the holder, acting as a lever for the bar. Its purpose is crucial in creating another step. Heel Bottom (Flexible Rubber): ------------------------------ Made from flexible rubber, this component doesn't break when encountering sharp objects and provides less slippage compared to ABS materials. Bar Askew Lever Part (ABS): --------------------------- This ABS part rotates around the center within the holder. It's designed to be attached to either flexible or ABS materials for optimal performance. Bar Straight Lever Part (Flexible Rubber or ABS Possible): --------------------------------------------------------- When the crutch is pressed, this component should move from a vertical to horizontal position, stimulating brain activity and facilitating another step. We've found that using flexible rubber works better than ABS as it's less prone to breaking when stepping on sharp objects. Assembly Instructions: ABS Version: ParkinsonStepStick-v2-ABS.stl -------------------------------------------- This design was sliced in Slic3r, split before exporting gcode, and printed with the following settings: - Nozzle diameter: 0.5mm - Layer thickness: 0.3 mm - Infill percentage: 14% - Infill type: 3D honeycomb - Top/Bottom layers: Archimedean chords - Perimeter count: 3 - Brim size: 10mm - Support structures: None Flexible Rubber Version: ParkinsonStepStick-v2-Flexible.stl --------------------------------------------------------- Similarly, this design was also sliced in Slic3r with the same settings: - Nozzle diameter: 0.5mm - Layer thickness: 0.3 mm - Infill percentage: 30% - Infill type: Honeycomb - Top/Bottom layers: Archimedean chords - Perimeter count: 3 - Brim size: 10mm - Support structures: None However, note that printing flexible rubber parts requires slower print speeds and additional ventilation to prevent the material from getting stuck in the feeder. Other Parts: ------------- 2 pieces of Allen key (Imbus) screws (65 mm x 4 mm) 2 pieces of secured nuts (4 mm diameter) 10 pieces of washer (3 mm diameter, should be smaller than bearing diameter) 6 pieces of ball bearings (624ZZ type, 4mm x 13mm x 5mm) 1 piece of rubber rope (20 cm long, 3-4 mm diameter) Software Used: ---------------- OpenSCAD: 2015.10.03.nightly Slic3r: 1.2.9