This week was a little different for me–due to unfortunate circumstances, I could not be present in class. Furthermore, I could not look at screens all week, so I had very limited communication with my team members. Due to this, my reflection on this week will be centered around my team’s progress in our research.
My team interviewed our mentor, Jenna, this week. As a reminder, our project is focused on creating a shoe tread to facilitate walking on ice and snow for prosthetic users. Some key takeaways from the interview are:
- It is important that the tread is light and easy to attach and detach.
- The height added from the tread should be as minimal as possible.
- The first prototype should fit to gym shoes, since those tend to be the most comfortable shoes.
In addition to interviewing Jenna, I have conducted some more secondary research. I wanted to start learning more about specific materials and designs for our shoe tread. I came across an article that describes the benefits of winter car tires over all-season tires. From the article, I learned that the rubber material is more important than the tread design. Winter tires are made of a rubber compound that remains soft and flexible in low temperatures, which increases traction. Thus, we need to take this into consideration when choosing a material to create the tread with.
Another article I found shares the best gear for walking in snow and on ice. The article showed a variety of tread materials and designs; some were made of rubber, some of stainless steal and some had sharp spikes while others had small cleats. We will need to decide on tread design and material(s) that are lightweight and create good traction on snow and ice. Lastly, through my secondary research, I also found that it is important that the tread can easily fit into a purse or pocket. This way, anyone can use the tread no matter where they are going.
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Hey Emma,
It is great to hear that your team is progressing so quickly. Off the top of my head I wanted to say that it is vital to make sure to limit the scope to materials which are 3D printable.
Also, do you want the thread / rubber to be embedded onto the shoe or an accessory which can be put on and removed? How will Jenna easily be able to put on and remove this attachment if it is an accessory? And what could you guys do to design so that people in wheelchairs could also experience the benefits of increased traction control?
All important questions to think about as you guys move forward.
Hey Emma,
This project is really starting to get off the ground. It’s very impressive to see how quickly your group is progressing. You guys are doing a great job of finding outside sources that can help strengthen your project.
I think that Michal made some interesting points to think about. Since you’re trying to conduct most of the production of this product in the 3D printing lab you might want to really think about the capabilities of the 3D printer. Do you think that the 3D printer has the capabilities for your project?
Anyways, great job overall and I really enjoyed hearing more about your project!
Hey Emma,
Hope things are going well with you! As a design student, I’ve spent the past four years learning the importance of research and sometimes having to think outside of the box in order to find inspiring potential solutions. So good job on your research! I think it was very smart of you to think to look into snow tires and such, because now you and your team know that focusing on the material is more important than the tread itself.
This is going to be a cool opportunity to continue to explore, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes for your group!