This was a co-author thesis done by Taylor Dunn and Adam Smith
Abstract:
A stair stretcher is a medical transportation device specifically designed to negotiate a staircase. The current market available products require significant physical effort of use by emergency personnel and lack in patient safety. To design a better system the engineering design processes was used to design and develop an improved prototype system. The group first gained and understanding of the market and potential improvements by researching into patents, standards, professional advice, and the business markets. From this research the group formed developed a list of design priorities to be executed by the design plan. By understanding customer’s needs and with thorough engineering analysis the group redesigned an improved stair chair prototype via improvement of six main sub-systems: motor and drive system, back rests, arm rests, restraints, leg rests, and the overall chair frame. Each sub-system was designed to enhance the chair’s functionality and to make a product solution that is superior to the current stair chairs on the market. The chair prototype was then assembled for testing and verification of design potential.