The Design of a Multi-Terrain Therapy Treadmill

Abstract

Students the R.B. of Engineering at the University of Indianapolis collaborated with therapists at NeuroHope to design and create a multi-terrain therapy treadmill. Team members, with the help of NeuroHope, identified requirements and constraints using Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) protocols under a four-stage design framework called the DesignSpine in order to create a novel design for a multi-terrain therapy treadmill. The treadmill will be used to help recovering patients practice walking on different terrains while being supported in a LiteGait harness. The different terrains will aid in the recovery process of a patient by stimulating many different muscles needed to walk properly. Utilizing Voice of the Customer (VoC) tools along with methodologies from IDEO and the Stanford d.School, such as translation worksheets and empathetic interview, the team identified and honed in on a set of critical requirements needed for the treadmill’s redesign. Next, the team moved on to the ideation and conceptual design phase to develop either a design focused on retrofitting an existing treadmill or creating a more robust treadmill design. This process, after receiving feedback at the end of a planned stage gate review, ultimately produced a novel custom treadmill design that reduces the overall time needed to simulate different terrains during a patient's therapy session. With help from expert designers, the team came up with