September 2023

The team met each other and also met with the Legacy Stakeholders and partners. We visited Legacy Midtown and interviewed the residents about the stairs and how comfortable they felt with it. When we were there, we also took measurements and pictures of the stairs. We met with our mentor Joe to discuss future prototyping and establish a project direction. two of our team members, Avram and Fajr, have started fabrication training. We also started brainstorming about prototype 2 which includes engineered drawings and CADs of new ideas such as handholds and supports.

October 2023

The team researched adhesion on the bus steps and the safety stairs leading to the conclusion that industrial Velcro would support the weight of the steps alongside the easy installation of the steps. We thought about more detail on the step dimensions such as how high each step should be between each other. We visited Legacy again and tested the model stairs out on the bus stairs. The observations that we made were: bus stairs fit tightly, and should be reduced on the width by 1-2inches to allow for easier insertion, Steps 2 and 3 wiggle when walked on and they appear to not sit properly together, and finally, the initial step from road to Step 3 is a much larger gap (around 2 inches more) for seniors than the initial step was prior to the safety stairs. We received the Velcro from Home Depot and applied it to the stairs and also ordered adjustable legs for support 3.

November 2023

The team put Velcro on the prototype to test where it would best fit on the bus. Added grip tape onto the stairs so it could add more grip when walking on the stairs. We visited Home Depot and ordered pine wood for the top stepping pieces and common board for the trusses and supports. We also got wood glue and started to glue all the pieces together and make sure they stayed put with clamps. All three steps have been assembled and we began screwing the joints together with screws. The team tested the new prototype stairs and made the conclusion that it was much lighter than the previous stairs. We found out that step three is not long enough and doesn’t have enough space to step so we decide to lengthen step three by one 6-inch board. Added more grip and Velcro for extra security and also added handheld ropes on each stair so it can be carried in a more efficient way.