Repository for the Gonut Capstone Team, formerly CCS Cause and Effect Vehicle.
By Tony Tang, Zahraa Hijara, Sherry Liang, Cindy Liu, Vivian Li, Slark Xu, Andrew Wharton, and Ryan Stevens
This project is a cause and effect vehicle for children with motor disabilities. Most people might imagine a child as an infant learning to crawl, or running around a playground with their friends. However, not every child gets that experience.
Every year over 10,000 children are born with cerebral palsy, and many others have a disability that limits their mobility. These children are fully dependent on others to move throughout the world, and as such may never properly develop their spatial awareness, navigation skills, and essentially lack the concept that they can move themselves.
Our device helps them develop that skill at a young age, by allowing them to move their own motorized chair by hitting buttons placed in front of them. There are currently devices that allow children to learn cause and effect with a toy, and there are also powered wheelchairs, but there is no device currently available that combines the two, meaning ours will be the first of its kind.
We’re working in collaboration with Dr. Jane Harpster at CCS, and when our device is finished, they have about 10 patients that can immediately use it for physical therapy.