What is LapPAC
Concept: A lap tray for children who use power wheelchairs for mobility and don’t have the ability to reach their backpacks hanging on the back of the chair.
Goals:
• Reverse learned helpless
• Provide a means of independence
• Provide some privacy
• Provide the ability to have “unapproved” items
• Access to needed school supplies/computer
Focus:
The focus is currently on children with Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy. The tray items, form and function have been modified to target this population.
Tray Features:
• Non-traditional shape
• Sliding reading support
• Laptop
• Self rising and closing lid
• Magnetic catches
• Open back for access to pots
• Corner holder to hold computer in place
• Sticky pad to hold computer in place
• Frame to hold screen of laptop to lid
• Self- rising and closing lid
• Inset for recorder
• Holder and loop to get recorder
• Prop to allow to lift cover
• Water bottle holder with loop for access
• Ridge to prevent pencils and other objects from rolling off the tray
• Soft rest for hands and body
• Computer powered by chair’s battery (?)
Materials:
• Acrylic: ¼ to ¾ inches / light and dark blue
o Dark blue for computer compartment
o Light blue for rest of tray
• Blue vinyl for holders, loops and water bottle holder
• Black rubber grip material for ridge of lap tray
• Back door stopper for support for hands and body near tray
• Magnetic latches to hold lid down
• Pneumatic hinge for lift tray lid.
The Process:
1. First talk with the students to see what items they would like access to in their lap tray.
• Received a wide variety of responses:
• 2 Compartment for Classroom tools: school supplies: Pens and pencils, ruler, scissors, compass protractor, utensils
• Paper/notebooks/workbooks
• Laptop with adapted software
• Cell phone with camera (safety): voice activated - power supply
• Game controller (recreation) /Headsets - power supply
• Book holder, (if student lacks the strength to hold book up independently)
• Digital Tape recorder to record lectures and make notes on - voice activated
• Remote control - voice activated
• Water bottle with straw
• Security - fingerprint recognition? Voice activated for compartments - safety concerns
Version 1
Original - Measurements
- chair arms 2in wide can be square or round
- outside to outside - 19in
- Max depth 24in
- 10in to 1in to scoop
- Strap to hold in the chair
Boomerang shape and tried to envision in corporate as many items as possible.
• Modular side compartments to folder over arm rests
o Modular pockets on side panels possibly cloth
• Try to contain:
o Laptop
o Water bottle
o Cell phone
o Game control
o Recorder
o Books
o Pencils/pens
Version 2
Universal Needs
- ridge to top rolling pencils
- title and swivel plate
- slide for math tools / disk/ruler/etc.
- water bottle
Second Design Round:
Focus on Computer compartment of the tray
• How to stabilize in the tray
• How thick the tray needs to be
• Hold the laptop in place
• Keep bottom down while lifting lid
• Evaluated with students
o Need to think about attaching on legs of wheelchair
o Student A with MS can reach forward and back better than right to left
o Long tray
o Ridge to stop items from rolling off
Version 3
Main Focus in Developing Student A's Tray
- Student A's chair measurements
- The space between the arms is 21 3/4 inches
- the arm pads are 2 1/2 inches wide.
- The right arm is 9" long
- the left one is 13 1/2 inches long.
Third Design Round:
Focus on the needs of Student A with MS.
• Build center module for laptop
• Inset with tray.
• Build frame to hold screen to lid
• Test students’ pressure strength with springs
Version 4
- Modular arm for joy stick
- moveable holder for recorder
- Pulleys to be able to slide water bottle to himself
- Slide against the left vertical edge for him to push against
- Stacking of center section
- pulley and slide to pull water bottle closer
- also release recorder
Build full mock up of tray with computer laptop
• Inset for recorder
• Slider for water bottle
• Cut out right side for joy stick
• Laptop
o Open up back for cable connections
o Springs to lift computer up
o Magnetic latches for computer lid
o Frame for holding screen to lid
o Stick pad to hold computer bottom down
o Corner edges to hold computer in place
• Video Evaluation
Fifth Design Round:
Based on previous Student A Evaluation hack current laptop design
• Move recorder to left and make long
• Inset water bottle and move the left
• Add loops to pull water bottle and recorder toward self
• Set laptop on slant platform
• Cut off most of right side for joy sticks, chair and computer
• Remove magnetic latches to hold better
• Add book support for reading.
References/Resources
LapTray
Clamping Systems
Latch/Catches
Modular
posted by PB @ 3:03 PM
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