Colorado AgrAbility Project You want to do what

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Colorado AgrAbility ProjectYou want to do what?

• Jason Beck, Rehabilitation Technologist

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Assistive Technology

• How do you match a client with AT?
• Look for new ways to complete tasks
• Can you change how client must complete tasks?
• Look for commercially available products designed
  to complete tasks
• RD has been done, product will do what it says
• Look for commercially available products that you
  can modify to complete tasks
• Always easier to modify than to design
• Design and fabricate a unique device
• Most expensive, largest risk, sometimes only
  option

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Unique solutions

• PTO Jack
• Automated Irrigation Gate
• Portable Ladder/Staircase
• ATV Throttle
• 3D VR model with students

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PTO Jack

• Client was paraplegic
• Family member had to hook-up PTO shaft from
  tractor to baler
• Difficult for family members to support and
  couple shaft at same time
• Jack used to support weight of shaft so that
  helper only had to worry about coupling

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PTO Jack

• Materials
• Scissor style car jack
• Half of irrigation PVC pipe
• Bungee cord to hold PTO shaft
• Fasteners to bolt together
• Cost
• 50

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Automated Irrigation Gate

• Client was paraplegic
• Unable to control water level for irrigating by
  himself
• Family member (wife) had to manually insert
  2x4s to dam up water

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Automated Irrigation Gate

• Materials
• Steel channel frame
• AC geared motor w/brake
• Chain to turn jackshaft
• Steel jackshaft
• Sheet metal reinforced w/angle iron to dam water
• Climbing webbing to attach sheet metal to
  jackshaft
• Cost
• About 700

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Portable Ladder/Staircase

• Client suffered from chronic back pain and
  arthritis
• Irrigated his land by siphon from concrete ditch
• Ditch at the bottom of very soft dirt slope

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Portable Ladder/Staircase

• Materials
• Aluminum angle for structure
• Raised expanded metal for stair treads
• Steel pipe for handrail
• Aluminum scrap for outriggers
• Receiver hitch
• Fasteners to bolt together
• Cost
• About 200

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ATV Throttle

• Client had severe crush injury to right forearm
• Could not operate thumb throttle on ATV
• Modified throttle to twist type and moved to left
  side

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ATV Throttle

• Materials
• Help from Colorado Powersports
• New throttle cable attached to carburetor
• Twist throttle control attached to throttle cable
• Moved to left side of ATV
• Cost
• 175

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3D VR Model with Students

• Transfer from tractor lifts into tractor cabs not
  always safe or efficient
• Work with students from the University of
  Colorado to model JD 4440 tractor cab
• Use 3D virtual reality to determine placement and
  types of devices to help transfer from lift into
  cab

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Thank YouAny Questions?