| dc.description.abstract | This project is done in collaboration with Firda Fysikalsk-Medisinsk Senter (FFMS), and the objective is to develop a machine that can be used for rehabilitation of whiplash patients. The study concerning theory and product demand specifications can be found in "Concept Study in Preparation for Development of a New Machine for Rehabilitation of Whiplash Patients", which was written as a pre-master thesis by the same authors as for this master thesis.
As the product in question is of a quite complex nature, the goal has been to come up with part solutions and concepts that can be developed further by next years master students. The methodology applied has been rapid prototyping and wayfaring, aimed at discovering solutions and problems concerning different modules of the product. Prototypes has been tested throughout the process in order to draw qualified conclusions.
Our main focus has, after discussion with FFMS, been the motion support module, and the head/neck attachment module, which were both defined in the pre-master thesis. We have not yet achieved any finalized solutions, but for both modules we present promising concepts and ideas that needs to be further explored and verified through more realistic prototypes and tests.
For the head/neck attachment module, we present a series of prototypes and the lessons learned from them. The end result is two fundamentally different prototypes, which both performed well during testing. For the motion support module, we focused on the user case development and present three different concepts. These have to some extent been explored by using early stage prototypes. The most interesting concept is based on the use of a Stewart Platform. This will, in our opinion, be an extraordinary solution, should it prove possible to realize.
The development process for both systems, containing user cases, concept descriptions, thoughts and lessons learned are presented in a way that provides the reader with necessary input to continue the development work. Although there is still a lot to be done before a finished apparatus can be produced, we believe that the work presented in this thesis will be of great importance for further development. | en |
