Parkinson's Step Stick by sopak

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Walking stick for Parkinson's disease.

It helps create another step, by visualize something under leg, when person is stuck and cannot walk anymore.
Father of my girlfriend have this disease and we figure out, when we put leg in front of his leg, he is able to do another step.
Work quite simple, it is attached to classic walking stick or a crutch. When it is pressed small bar move to horizontal position and when release, then rubber rope returns it to vertical. Main weight is not on this tool, but remains on original stick or crunch.
Progress:

Version 0

It was just mercury cable attached to crunch, it does not move at all.



Version 1

Not very successful, it breaks too easy.
Original should use metal string, but it was mistake, so I switch to rubber rope.
This old version is included in downloads as whole zip, if anyone is interested.


Version 2

current version
It is actually rewrite from scratch.
I try my best to comment whole OpenSCAD file, therefore everyone can modify it as needed.
I recommend using bearings, othervise you will have to sacrifice smoothness and rigidity.
Best combination we found is use ABS and Flexible, it is described in parts section.

3D Parts:

Holder (ABS)

Grab around crunch.
Printed from two pieces, which we glued together with ABS glue.



Heel Top (ABS)

It is moving in holder vertically and create lever for bar.



Heel Bottom (Flexible Rubber)

Does not break on sharp objects as ABS.
Needs to be replaceable.
Does not slip too much as ABS.



Bar askew lever part (ABS)

It is rotate over center in holder.


Bar straight lever part (Flexible Rubber or ABS possible)

When crunch is pressed, then this part should move from vertical to horizontal position.
In horizontal position brain is stimulated and another step is possible
Flexible is better, because it is harder to break it when step on and some sharp stone is under.

Arrangements of 3D printed parts:

ABS - ParkinsonStepStick-v2-ABS.stl

Sliced in Slic3r.
split before export gcode
0.5mm nozzle
0.3 mm layer
infill 14% 3D honeycomb
Top/Bottom 3layers Archimedean chords
3 perimeters
brim 10mm,
no support


Flexible Rubber - ParkinsonStepStick-v2-Flexible.stl

Sliced in Slic3r.
split before export gcode
0.5mm nozzle
0.3 mm layer
infill 30% honeycomb
Top/Bottom 3layers Archimedean chords
3 perimeters
brim 10mm,
no support
print very slow, my material needs lot of ventilation otherwise stuck in feeder

Other parts:
2pcs cca 65mm x 4mm Allen key(imbus) screw (size depend on settings in OpenSCAD)
2pcs 4mm secured nut (or 4 nuts and screw rod as in my photos)
10pcs 4mm washer (should be smaller diameterthen outside bearing diammeter)
6pcs ball bearing 624ZZ 4mmx13mmx 5mm (recommended for rigidity)
1pc 20cm rubber rope 3-4mm (Depends what you have and how strong it will be.)
6pcs cca 25mm x 3mm Allen key(imbus) screw
6pcs secured nut
12pcs 3mm washer
Software
OpenSCAD - 2015.10.03.nightly (git f1e8f2c)
Slic3r - 1.2.9