Device Aiding Assistance to Elderly for
Lifting Heavy Items
Background
As humans age it is inevitable to be more susceptible to injury
so lifting heavier items can be difficult for the elderly. They are
susceptible to straining their back and other muscles because
someone is not always there to help them load and unload heavy
items. “Older adults are more prone to overuse injuries because as
someone ages, tissues such as tendons, tend to weaken” (Dignity,
2017). Repeating actions without having the proper range of
motion or muscular stability can cause damage to the body. This
project involves making a device, called the Load Lifter, that
ascends these materials, so it takes the stress off the user’s body. It
will do this by lifting a platform to be level with a car trunk, so
that the item can be pushed into the trunk without having to be
lifted by the user. A study done to examine the impact of age on
performance found an “average decline of 20% in physical work
capacity between the ages of 40-60, due to decreases in
musculoskeletal capacity” (Kenney, Yardley, Martineau, Jay,
2008). This means that the structures that work together to support
your body’s weight and help you move decrease in efficiency as
someone ages. Knowing this, it cannot be expected for a body to
also take on the added load of heavy items. The design proposed
incorporates a pulley system that lessens the load for a user, so less
effort will be exerted to pull an object equal in weight. As more
pulleys are added to the system, the mechanical advantage is
increased, and it becomes very easy to lift the same load. After
conducting research, no product currently on the market was found
to have the same function and goal as the Load Lifter. If properly
engineered this design could be very useful and successful.
Objectives
 Build a device to assist the elderly by taking on the load
when handling heavier item.
 Engineer a motorized product so it can load and unload
materials from vehicle.
 Create a mechanism that is easily stored and
lightweight.
 Produce a cost-effective piece of merchandise.
Materials
 Wood
 Rope
 Screws
 Pulleys
 Crank Handle
 Winch Drum
 Drill
 Handheld Coping Saw
 Safety Goggles
 Safety Gloves
Ellary Hackworth
Methodology
Part I: Assembly
1. Gather materials and put on proper safety gear.
2. Take the wood and cut 8 pieces (each measuring .5 in x 2.5 in x 18
in).
3. Layout 4 pieces of wood, each about 2 in. apart.
4. Take the last 4 pieces and lay them out on top of those 4 but going
the opposite (vertical or horizontal) direction (Refer to image 1).
5. Drill 1-in. screws into each point where 2 pieces of wood connect or
overlap. Drill them in at a slight angle (about an 80-degree angles to
the wood) to be sure they do not poke through the other side (Refer
to image 2).
6. Take the handheld coping saw and carve out semi circles (with a
radius of .5 in.) on the corners (Refer to images 3 and 4).
7. Wrap the rope weaving it through the wooden boards and wrapping
it up to meet at the top above the platform (Refer to images 5 and 6).
8. Hang the pulley from the top of the car’s trunk.
9. Connect the winch drum to the inside of the car.
10.Attach the crank handle to the winch drum.
11.Run the rope through the pulley and attach to the winch drum.
12.Adjust design after testing and data collection process.
Part II: Testing and Data Collection
Test A
13.To test the prototype, a series of trials will be conducted to make
note of efficiency and max weight of the load it can carry.
14.The first set of tests will be making sure the prototype moves up and
down efficiently. Make sure there is no weight load on the device.
15.Crank the handle to make the device go up and simultaneously press
start on a timer. Press stop when the platform has reached its peak.
16.Then, crank to make the device go down and simultaneously press
start on a timer. Press stop when the platform has reached its lowest
point.
17.This will be repeated for 10 trials and times (s) will be recorded in
the proper boxes in data table I.
18.Next, a load of 2 pounds will be added to the platform and steps c
and d will be repeated for 10 trials and data will be recorded in
proper table.
19.Repeat step 6 for 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-pound loads.
20.If the prototype is still efficiently serving its purpose, then go on to
add weight in 5-pound intervals and complete step 6.
21.Analyze results and draw conclusions. Make note of any slowing in
prototype efficiency as more weight is added.
Test B
22.Start with the prototype in the trunk of a car.
23.Observe how much space the device takes up. Determine if there is
enough space to fit a full load of groceries in the trunk as well as the
Load Lifter. Record analysis in proper table.
24.Time (s) how long it takes to take out prototype and set up in a
ready-to-use position. Record this time in the proper box in the
corresponding data table.
25.Repeat and time (s) how long it takes to store away the prototype
and record.
26.Analyze results and draw conclusions
Blueprint of Load Lifter
Pictures
Image 1 Image 2
Image 3 Image 4
Image 6
Image 5
Results
Originally, the plan was to analyze the data results by comparing the
times it takes to set up and stow away the device. Also, how long it
takes the device to move up and down. This did not happen due to many
reasons. The first being issues with the electrical part of the design. Not
enough research was originally conducted to accurately connect the
battery to the on/off button and the pulley system. After this was
determined, the project was modified to be a crank-pulley system. The
device was on track, platform built, and rope connected. However, a
pulley cannot realistically be drilled into a car. This was not taken into
consideration in the original research plan of the prototype. Solutions
were researched and it was thought that the best way to fix this problem
would be to build a stand that goes into the car and hold the pulley
system. Referring to the objectives of this project, it was determined that
adding a stand to the design defeats the lightweight and compact goal. It
would make the product more of a hassle than a help. Unfortunately,
with the time and financial constraints of science fair, there was not
enough time for this problem to be fixed with the deadline of the
project. The efficiency of the product cannot be determined, because the
Load Lifter is uncompleted. The engineering goal of this project was not
met; however, it is believed that this product would have been very
helpful if the electrical, and physical obstacles were overcome.  Schiller, B. (2014, October 1). Get stuff into your trunk, without straining
Conclusion
Even though no real data was collected, so much was learned
from this project. For starters, communication skills with
collaborators and asking for help from Home Depot workers. It was
also noted that even though something may seem simple, the
physics behind it sometimes requires more time and money than
realized. Resources available in the community were also explored
and utilized (ie. Wood cutting services). After having to make
multiple adjustments to the research plan throughout the science fair
process, one thing learned is to always do thorough research before
diving into a project. It is better to be overeducated than go in not
knowing what to do. There were also communication issues with the
owner of the car being used to base the model off. Having to re-
direct the goals too many times caused confusion and ended in a
failure to complete the original goal: Make a device to assist the
elderly when lifting heavy items into their trunk. Because of this
outcome, it cannot be determined if this device would have worked,
but it was still a success. All the engineering, communicative and
research skills that were acquired and practiced through the
construction of the model are takeaways that will help with projects
in the future.
Next Steps
As this project did not go the way it was originally planned,
there is much room for improvements. First, the obvious
advancement: determine the correct way to electrically connect a
battery operation to the pulley system. The next step would be be to
figure out how to connect the pulley to the car. Once those problems
are solved, any issues found after testing and data collection could
be fixed. Another adjustment that could be made is adding pool
noodles or other cushion material to the edges of the platform. This
is so that if the device comes in contact with the side or bumper of
the car, it does not damage or scratch anything. Additional
modifications that could improve the science fair process would be
to have more preparation for the project. More research needs to be
conducted to be sure that the project is achievable with the resource
and time constraints. Finally, making the research plan more
detailed forces a better plan to be put in place. There will be
intention with each step so there is no not going into the project
blindly. With these enhancements, this project has the potential to
be fully brought to life next year.
References
Dignity Health. (n.d.). Repetitive strain injury (RSI. Retrieved from
https://www.dignityhealth.org/las-vegas/services/orthopedics/sports-m
edicine/sports-injuries/overuse-injuries-rsi#:~:text=Causes%20of%20
RSI%20%26%20Overuse%20Injuries&text=Older%20adults%20are
%20more%20prone,their%20bodies%20are%20still%20growing
Kenny, G. P., Yardley, J. E., Martineau, L., & Jay, O. (2008, July 11).
Physical work capacity in older adults: Implications for the aging
worker. Retrieved from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajim.20600
Mocomi [MocomiKids]. (n.d.). Pulley, Wheel, Lever and More Simple
Machines [Mocomi brings to you an interesting compilation of simple
machines.]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtk2V0M6k3M
your back. Retrieved from
https://www.fastcompany.com/3035978/get-stuff-into-your-trunk-with
out-straining-your-back