Technology and Website

Technology and Website

Tag Archive: helps

High school students’ technology helps this man who uses a wheelchair mow his lawn again

27/06/2023 New Technology In Computer , , , , , , , ,

Rob Piper says he loves cutting his grass, so much so that he even considered launching his own lawn-cutting business.

But around five years ago, the Windsor, Ont., man was injured in a cycling accident — he’s been using a wheelchair ever since.

Piper said he took to Facebook to say how much he missed it and was eventually connected to the technology program at St. Anne Catholic High School to find a solution.

“I’m so excited,” he said.

“The boys and girls did an amazing job on it. Tried it out for a couple rows and … ready to go cut the whole neighborhood.”

Rob Piper’s wheelchair now connects to a lawn mower to allow him to cut grass, something the Windsor, Ont., man loved before getting injured five years ago. (TJ Dhir/CBC)

Mike Costello, who teaches manufacturing and technology at St. Anne, said he and a group of students researched ideas online for connecting a wheelchair and lawn mower, began to engineer a couple of designs and built a few prototypes.

“We thought, ‘We’re going to build it out of a metal-based lawn mower,’ only to find out that you couldn’t buy an electric lawn mower that was metal based,” said Costello.

LISTEN | Rob Piper joins Windsor Morning

Windsor Morning7:57Lawn Mowing Aid

Some students at a Lakeshore high school are giving a local man a chance to cut his own grass. They’ve developed a device to allow him to connect his wheelchair to a lawn mower.

Eventually, said Costello, they were able to “hack away” at different ideas on paper until one worked.

“So we had to go back to the plastic … it couldn’t support the wheels and the framework … so we decided to build a frame that would support the lawn mower itself, hold up the lawn mower.”

The machine is an electric lawn mower that connects to an assistive device, enabling Rob to remain in his chair.

A St. Anne High School student assists Rob Piper as he prepares to mow his Windsor, Ont., lawn.
A St. Anne High School student assists Piper as he prepares to mow his lawn. (TJ Dhir/CBC)

Grade 11 student Jake Polewski said designing the machine was tricky, but it made him feel a sense of accomplishment.

“Seeing him (Rob) be able to have some independence in his life and be able to do something for himself. I’m sure it makes him feel good.”

Jake said the wheels were too small on their first

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Makers Making Change helps people with disabilities using 3D printing technology

27/02/2023 New Technology In Computer , , , , , , ,

A network of volunteers and staff have developed a cost-effective solution to help people with disabilities across Canada and the United States.

Statistics Canada said more than 80 per cent of persons with disabilities reported using at least one aid or assistive device and that cost was the most commonly reported reason for unmet needs for aids or assistive devices.

This is where Makers Making Change comes in.

Starting in 2016 as part of a Neil Squire program, this not-for-profit has a mission to connect people who have disabilities with volunteer makers to build assistive technology using 3D printing at a much more affordable price.

“We have a bunch of volunteer makers, people who are like, ‘Hey, we want to help, we have certain skills. Let me know if you need my skills for anything,’” said Heather Buerfeind, Alberta outreach intern with Makers Making Change.

Buerfeind says that the most commonly requested things are assistive switch devices such as grips for pens and pencils or a key holder to help turn your key in a lock. One of the newest is a card holder for people who struggle to hold playing cards.

“Commercial switches can be quite an upcharge because they’re a specialty. By crowdsourcing the movement maker and 3D printing, we can bring those costs down on average by about 94 per cent,” Buerfeind said.

So how it works is someone with a disability can go to the website makersmakingchange.com, browse the devices online and either download the devices and 3D print them themselves or can be connected with a volunteer who can do that for them.

People can also volunteer to add new designs and, since everything is open-sourced, anyone can download a design and print it or submit a new design that someone may find useful.

Buerfeind says that they have about 16 to 20 staff members who focus on outreach and developing new technologies, as well as working with individuals who have disabilities to develop technologies.

“We also get a bunch of people who will go on our website and say, ‘Hey, I would like something that helps me do such and such a task, but I don’t see anything on your website. Can someone help me design this?’” said Buerfeind.

Then either someone on their team or a volunteer maker can take that design

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