Updates - The Legacy Senior Communities: Handrails | The University of Texas at Dallas

April 2024 Update

As the semester comes to an end, our project approaches being finished. Despite making slow progress in the early stages, we’ve made tremendous surges in the last month, including the following changes:

Latch Finalization + Placement Optimization:
After testing, it was evident that the latch was stronger and thus better suited for our needs. Because of its durability, we were able to use fewer latches than previously. In addition, instead of having two latches on one side, we decided to place on on each side and orient them facing opposite directions. This serves to prevent the rail from bending inward or outward and to balance strain by having opposing pulls.

Socket Construction for Attachment of Stabilizers:
Previously, the vertical leg was permanently attached to the model. Users would unfold the leg, then use latches to hold it in place once it was fully upright. This set-up was functional but bulky and messy – lots of moving parts with the leg and hinges. Using CAD, we designed a socket & key solution, where a detachable leg is inserted into the socket, then held in place by a pin. Two variations are used for each stabilizer: one straight/vertical and one at an angle.

_{Pictured: Previous leg’s configuration}

Replacement of Previous Leg Base:
Referring to the previous leg’s configuration (pictured above), we can see that the base was a 4-pronged metal foot. Our team noticed that the metal did not provide much resistance against movement on concrete, so we opted for a high-friction material such as rubber. We conducted extensive research to find a rubber base, but the North Lab Machine Shop at UTD actually had a spare part lying around that was a perfect fit for our project. The parts are adjustable feet with a firm metal + rubber base.

Removal of Previous Leg + New Vertical & Horizontal Stabilizers:
To implement the sockets and bases for the legs (the feet), it was essential to completely recalculate the length of the existing vertical leg. At this point, we had also experimented with CAD to determine the ideal configuration for the truss extending from the rail horizontally, which we planned to attach at a 30° angle from the top of the rail. After the specific measurements were made, implementing both legs was relatively straightforward: we first cut new legs out of leftover materials, welded a “plate” onto the bottom opening to drill the feet into, drilled holes for the pins, and sanded the sides down until the legs slid smoothly into the sockets.

_{Pictured: Our vertical & horizontal stabilizers, complete}

Final Steps + Our Finished Product:

The final step of our project is to test our prototype on the bus used to transport the senior citizens. We hope to do this before we deliver the final handrail to the Legacy Senior Communities to ensure the problem has been resolved. However, their bus is currently undergoing repairs for an indefinite period, and we may not be able to do so. If testing is not possible during this semester or during the summer, we hope to go through with the delivery and provide a detailed set of instructions with the handrail. And in the worst case scenario, we can simply reopen the project for next semester. Overall, our team is very happy with our final product, and we hope our clients are as well.

_{Pictured: Finished rail, unassembled (not folded)}

_{CAD Model of Final Design (Note that feet are not represented accurately.)}

_{Rail, assembled (standing on a stool instead of a bus)}

Uncategorized

March 2024 Update

Our team has been testing two different latches using both CAD simulations and physical testing, and we are very close to selecting and finalizing our latch replacements. After collecting user feedback and finalizing data, we will install both the chosen latches and the ratchet straps onto the prototype.

_{Models we’re using for physical testing}

Next Steps:

Regarding new additions to the model, we have begun working on implementing the truss. We are in the beginning stages: brainstorming and simulating different positions, orientations, and angles before we test any physical models. In addition, our team is actively researching materials for a rubber compound and investigating how to attach it to the base. Our main objective at this point is to conduct effective testing to find the most optimal, stable configuration. If everything goes well, we plan to begin final testing with the client’s bus within the next month.

Hand Rails, Uncategorized

Feb 2024 Update

During our preliminary testing process, we noticed multiple issues with the current prototype, including the latches, ratchet straps, and overall stability.

Firstly, the existing latches immediately presented several glaring issues. They lacked durability and bent under moderate pressure; one broke during our first testing session, warranting a stronger replacement. These latches were also adjustable, and while this trait provided flexibility, it proved to be more of a hassle. Considering that the rail is a fixed structure and the latches are not, the latches had to be constantly adjusted, which was a matter of inefficiency.

_{Pictured: The catch plate/hook of the broken latch is bent backwards, preventing it from effectively holding the rail together.}

In addition, the straps fastening the handrail to the bus itself were difficult to tighten; the loose connections created unnecessary movement at the base, diminishing overall stability. Our group also noticed a potential hazard when the straps would lay on the ramp since the loose pieces could get caught in equipment (e.g., wheelchairs) or cause someone to trip.

_{Pictured: The ends of the straps rest onto the ramp’s surface.}

Finally, there was an unacceptable amount of stability issues when pressure was applied to the rail to simulate an actual person using the rail to board the bus. We noticed a lot of movement within the rail from the weak latches, as well as in the overall model from lack of horizontal support.

Solution for Latches:

To address the issues with the current latches, our group researched for replacements and decided on two different types of latches.

Our first option is a draw latch with a safety catch to prevent accidental opening. The latching distance is fixed at a distance of 7/8’’. Since there is no capacity listed, we plan on experimenting with different weights to test its tolerance.

Our second option is a gasket-sealing draw latch that also has a safety catch. The latching distance is fixed at 3/16’’. The capacity of this latch is 220 lbs.

Our group plans to use a combination of CAD simulations and miniature prototypes to determine which latch will be best suited for our needs. Replacement components have been ordered and will be tested shortly.

Solution for Straps:

To replace the straps, our group first conducted research, then visited Lowe’s to view plausible options. The previous straps were lashing straps, which are effective for binding objects together but perform poorly in terms of strength. We selected these “SmartStraps” (pictured below). The straps are 10 feet long and have a safe working load of 500 lbs – capacities that fall well within what is needed to secure the rail to the bus and withstand any strain to the base. More importantly, its key feature is its ratchet, allowing users to “crank” the rachet to tighten the strap rather than pulling and fastening it by hand. This will resolve the previous concern of struggling to tighten the strap fully. Finally, because the ratchet mechanism feeds the strap into itself, the securement method eliminates the hazard caused by straps laying out on the ramp.

Other Progress:

All team members have completed Machine Shop training for future project modifications.

Quality Control

May 2023 Update

As the semester comes to an end we are putting on the finishing touches to our project. We are continuing to refine the UI and update the functionality of our application. We have added a loading buffer that shows users when a new page is loading for simplicity and implemented our navigation bar to every page to make it extremely easy to go from one page to the next. We are working on our final report and poster and have implemented a fully dynamic homepage/login screen, team members page, and inspections page. All of these pages successfully pull/add/remove data from our database as needed to add/remove new users, team members, and inspections. The performance and room pages continue to come along and mimic our front-end designs from earlier in the semester. All of our pages have full routing and can be easily accessed from any point.

Quality Control

April 2023 Update

We have added a fully functional login/signup form on the app homepage for users to create new accounts. This page allows us to identify who gets admin rights and who gets leader rights and determines what pages they can and cannot see. We are also continuing to refine the UI and create our different pages dynamic. The homepage and login screen is fully dynamic and the inspections and rooms pages are coming along. We are continuing to learn how to implement redux to handle API requests while making our pages dynamic.

Quality Control

March 2023 Update

In March, we were able to build the basis of our project and make great progress overall. We implemented the majority of our front-end designs into real code and finalized our database implementation. We have all the static pages added and we are working on currently making all of them dynamic to connect the front end to the back end. The addMembers page is now fully dynamic and functional. The navbar and dashboard components are also fully functional and exactly mimic our UI designs from before. Overall, we have built a solid foundation for our website and are on a good track to accomplishing our goals for the semester.

Quality Control

February 2023 Update

We were able to come together and finalize a technology stack for our project with the guidance of our mentors. We met with our project partner at their location in Dallas to confirm our understanding of the project requirements and implementation. We finished our final project plan and decided on team roles and leadership. We finished developing the ER database diagram and got it approved by our project partner. We began drafting the UI components of our project manually and have multiple sketches and drawings of different pages that we plan to create within the application. We are also continuing to learn the needed technologies in our free time and have assigned various technological roles within our team.

Quality Control

January 2023 Update

As a team, we came together and met for the first time. We all met with our project partner for the first time and had a 2.5-hour meeting discussing the requirements for the application. We all understood the requirements and project vision and began learning the necessary technologies associated with it. We met as a team on multiple occasions and got to know each other better while also thinking about project roles.

Fall 2021

November 2022 Update

In the month of November, our team has moved to a different design that shows a laterally folding handrail system which boasts simplicity, integration, and ease of use. We have begun developing physical prototypes to showcase our concept, along with finalizing key details of our design. Our team first focused on completing a scaled down PVC model of our prototype. This was important to test the functionality and provide a physical model to present to our client.

After the completion of the PVC model, we begun doing static and stress analysis on our CAD model, where we learned of our design’s weak points and begun working on new solutions to those points.

We also began finalizing our procurement form and looked into ordering the necessary materials to build a full scale model. This model will only include one of the handrails and will show a full sized working model to present to our client, and provide next semester’s group a model to build on.

Fall 2021

October 2022 Update

In early October, we made a 3D CAD model of our design, in order to visualize the solution we are planning. We wanted to build a hand railing that had two parts and we could roll into place before the ramp was lowered.

After creating this model, we critiqued the design and realized that there were some flaws. These included the fact we did not account for how best to keep the railing upright when pushed sideways. We also realized that setting up this type of handrailing would take a lot of effort from Legacy’s bus drivers and it would not be very efficient.

We went back to the drawing board and came up with a new idea that was more conducive to the situation:

This design features a railing that will be attached to points inside the bus. It folds in the horizontal direction and has the same angle as the ramp. This allows Legacy’s residents to easily use the handrail as they walk down the ramp, and it requires very little time for the bus drivers to set up.

In the 3^rd week of October, we went to visit the Legacy Senior Communities again, to speak with them about our design and get their thoughts and input. We also spoke with one of their bus drivers who was excited about the new design and was eager to see the residents be ale to regain some of their autonomy.

Simultaneously, our whole team has been working on training and gaining access to the Machine Shop and Fabrication Shop on campus, as well as the Makerspace, as we prepare to enter the prototyping stage of the design process.