All Fixed

2006-04-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

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

First Design Round:
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

Fourth Design Round:
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

LapPAC Evaluations Round2

2006-04-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

Student A:

12 year old 5th grade boy
Has Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy
Has more control over micro-movements
Macro-Movements are difficult: effortful and slow

Moving hands forward and back easier than going to the side

Video Evaluations

Student A - Evaluation: Spring Resistant (quicktime)

Design Development of LapPAC

Designs (pdf)

Evolution of design as project focus changes. First page is earlier design, and last page is current working design

References/Resources

lapPAC Evaluation Round 1

2006-03-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

Population Audience: Any wheelchair user who also has reduced range of motion in their trunk or upper extremities and would like access to items commonly found in a backpack. These users could be in a pediatric population or an adult population. The idea was originally formulated for a group of young men who had diagnoses of Spina Bifida, Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and Cerebral Palsy, who are in elementary (grade 5)and middle school (grade 8)grades.

Need Addressed: All these young men want more independence in the school day so that they will not have to ask an adult and/or a fellow classmate to help them obtain the tools they need to use in producing academic work, such as their laptop computers, their school books or notebooks, pencils, compasses, calculators, or the tools for Activities of Daily Living i.e.: getting a drink of water (water bottle or glass/cup), getting eating utensils, getting and using a cell phone, etc. They were all concerned that the tray look 'cool'; like a command module of a space ship or something similar.

Description: The Tray would ideally be made of a lightweight plastic/acrylic product (lexan?) that would be strong but not brittle. A center portion for the laptop, cell phone, digital voice recorder, etc, and 2 side sections would be incorporated and adapted to the needs of each user. The center section, containing the laptop would have a cover on it that could act as a writing surface, a book holder or, with a sliding extension, a notebook or workbook holder at an angle, in order to provide a clearer visual field and an ergonomically correct angle to write on.

Technologies used: Infared (remote control), digital (tape recorder)

Materials used: The final materials have not been determined in this evolving project. We hope to get more feedback from the users-to-be in the next week.

Lap Tray Needs Analysis

2006-02-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

As requested by the students

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

- fingerprint reconigition? voice activated for comparments - safety concerns

Backpack Analysis

2006-02-01T20:24:00.002-08:00

Find the backpack
- Components Needed: visual perceptual skills including the ability to discriminate one item from a field of visually competing items, eg: figure ground

Pick up the backpack by one of the straps or the top handle (usually is on the floor)
- Components Needed:
  - strength in the muscles of one's arm(s)chest and back
  - the ability to move your arms and hands and fingers in the range of motion needed for this task
  - the ability to gauge the correct approach to the backpack and the excursion of the grasp pattern
  - correct force production

Carry backpack to higher-level surface (table, bench, bed, etc….)
- continue with the muscular strength and activation as above
- with the need for added force production by certain muscles to carry the backpack to a higher surface
- both concentric and eccentric use of these muscles for smooth co-ordinated controlled movements

Set backpack down on higher level surface
- continue biomechanic and ergonomic use of musculature

Unzip main compartment of the backpack

Dig through main compartment for item

Unzip outside compartment:
- Components Needed:
- the ability to use a grasp appropriate tot his task
- superior or lateral pincer grasp.
  - Pull out pen, card, stick pad from smaller organizational compartment inside
    - If not ready visible… unzip and dig down with hands in the various pockets to feel for the item
    - If item still not found - pull out all items and put on the surface until item is found
    - If Item still not found turn backpack upside down and shake to empty items (may be heavy if main compartment still full)
  - Once Item is found or determined not to be in bag put items back in compartments and zip back up smaller compartment.

Pick backpack up and put on my back by placing arms through straps.
- Pick up by top handle place on the floor
  - In addition, one needs the cognitive ability to sequence and execute all the actions, the memory of the motor plan to execute the motor tasks needed.

Pros and cons of using a backpack

Pros

Organize items – pen/pencils, notepads, stickies, tissues, lip balm

Carry on back and hands free: ergonomically better for student

Sturdy to hold heavy items and resist wear and tear, dragging

Water resistant

Side compartments – water bottle, cell and access cards, ipod - reach without taking off backpack

Cons

Not good if have back problems, such as arthritis, scoliosis, general weak abdominal musculature

Manipulate zipper and tabs challenge for impaired or delayed fine motor skills and sensory skills such as stereognosis

Cannot see what is going on behind you if you do not have the ability to monitor

Need ability to twist to get to side compartment- range of motion and mobility in rib cage/ trunk/ spine/ arms

Need strength in arms to lift pack and carry

Straps hang down and can get caught or be tugged

Easy to lose items in compartments and spend time looking for them

Only water resistant so gets wet in heavy rain

Must haves for students:

Ipods (recreation) (optional) (with tv and movies) with speakers

Cell phone with camera (safety): voice activated

Game console/ps2 (recreation) or PSP/XBox

Laptop with adapted software and DVDs

Flash drives/pen combo (optional- not necessary if infared printer)

Pens and pencils

Compartment for Classroom tools: ruler, scissors, compass protractor

Paper/notebooks/workbooks

Book holder, (if student lacks the strength to hold book up independently)

Digital Tape recorder to record lectures and make notes on

CD/DVD slot

Headsets

Water bottle

A place for food (macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice and beans)

Eating utensils/ straw