The Right Foot for Chewie

Jessica Cox and her black furry dog in the cockpit of a yellow plane, both turned around looking at the camera. The image reads, Jessica Cox Motivational Speaker and Life Coach. Possible thinking, achieve the impossible. The purpose of this image is to introduce our community partners.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Jessica was born with no arms due to a rare congenital limb difference. Jessica describes herself as a “do-er;” she’s an airline pilot, a motivational speaker, and a taekwondo blackbelt. Despite her many accomplishments, Jessica is still faced with day to day challenges. Currently, she and her husband, Patrick, are looking for solutions to a few problems: 1) picking up after Chewie, their dog, while on walks and 2) easily opening and closing Chewie’s saddle bag in order to have quick access to some of Jessica’s needed items (i.e. an extendable straw or a portable dressing hook).

GROUP INFORMATION 

  • Group Members:
    • Chitvan*, Master’s in Learning Technology Experience Design, NYU Steinhardt
    • Safal, BS in Computer Science, NYU Abu Dhabi
    • Selena Brujan, MS/OTD in Occupational Therapy, NYU Steinhardt
    • Sophie Ana, BA in Individualized Studies (Accessible designing), NYU Gallatin 
    • Erika, 
    • Izzi, MS in IDM, NYU Tandon
    • Daniel Ryan Johnston, MPS from ITP, Ability Project Research Resident 
  • Meeting times: Tuesday class time

*Main point of contact

OVERVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS 

This section provides a quick overview of milestones achieved throughout the design process. Please see Weekly Updates for a more detailed acount. 

  • 9/29/22: First meeting with Jessica, Patrick and Chewie and team members: Selena, Chitvan, and Sophie Ana. This meeting focused on introductions and first round of interview questions. 
  • 10/10/22: Second meeting with Jessica, Patrick and Chewie and team members: Selena, Chitvan, Safal, Izzi, and Erika. This meeting focused on a second round of introductions and interview questions. 
  • 10/28/22: Third meeting with Jessica, Patrick and team members: Izzi, Sophie Ana, and Safal. Went over the Design Framework to learn about Jessica’s likes and dislikes for each product in the competitive analysis. Narrowed down possible solutions to pursue.
  • 11/11/22: Fourth meeting with Jessica, Patrick and team members: Chitvan, Safal and Erika. Earlier this week, Patrick had shared a video of Jessica using a Dispoz-a-Scoop and Yay!!! This was a breakthrough for our project goals as she was able to use it. The challenge lies in hooking it to Chewy’s saddle bag and the cost. We will continue to iterate on these challenges and also move to the 2nd goal of our project – alternatives to Chewy’s current saddle bag. 
  • 11/30/22: Fifth meeting with Jessica, Patrick and team members: Selena, Safal and Sophie Ana. Second Design Framework meeting focused on collaborating on possible solutions for Chewie’s saddle bag. Narrowed down possible solutions with Jessica (1) Adapt current zipper on teal saddle bag to increase rigidity, (2) Add accessible closures to black saddle bag. The team will begin to create and deliver protoypes this week. 
  • 12/13/22: No meeting with Jessica but another major breakthrough in PROTOTYPING! Sophie Ana succesfully 3D printed the tension rod for rigidity in the teal saddle bag for easy closure/opening of the zipper. A protoype of the black saddle bag was made by sewing magnet strips directly into the seam of the bag and adding a handle to ensure no items fall out of the bag and seamless opening and closing of the bag. Students delivered final term presentation. Team (Selena and Sophie Ana) will continue to work on the project and are hopeful to find a custom solution for Jessica. 

Current iteration of solution

Teal Bag

Sophie Ana designed and 3d printed a tension rod that is the length of the teal bag and can be insterted inside to make the bag more rigid. This tension rod can be sewed in for a more permanent solution, however the team is looking into how it can be placed in the bag temporarily so that it may be used for multiple bags or problematic zippers.

White 3D printed tension rod that’s cyclindrical with discs at the end with holes that can be used for sewing
3D printed tension rod
Before tension rod unable to zipp teal bag
Before tension rod

 

Successful attempt zippering teal bag with tension rod
After tension rod

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Bag 

While waiting for the new materials (magnetic strips, handles, and hooks) the team created this visual protoype of what the final product may look like along with the dispoz-a-scoop. The diagram below shows how the dispoz-a-scoop would be attached by the hook sewn on the saddle bag (placement to be determined). A handle would be added to outside of the tote so Jessica can easily break the magnetic force along the opening of the bag with her foot. The magnetic strips not shown will be sewn into the seam along the edge of the bag opening. 

Diagram of black saddle bag prototype
Black saddle bag prototype

Dispoz-a-scoop 

The commercial solution that worked best for Jessica to manipulate with her feet

Instructional guide 

If you are interested in re-creating this solultion to picking up after a dog and managing dog saddle bags follow this page to an instructional guide and material list.

Note: This instuctional guide will be under construction until the final product is complete! Please pardon our appearance.  

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT