Atrium Daily Journal
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Working with Atrium Health Rehabilitation Center, Scarlett Black and I are designing stable and affordable mounts that patients can use to play video games. While playing video games may seem like a minor part of recovery, the impact it has on patients is profound. Having a source of entertainment that patients are in control of gives them a sense of normalcy and independence, which can be difficult to find during the recovery process. In addition, video games provide a fun and engaging escape for patients to enjoy.
When we first met with Atrium Rehab, we saw that the mounts currently being used can cost patients upwards of $300 each. Since many patients require multiple mounts, this expense is often unjustifiable for families. The hospital also has a limited number of mounts available, and once patients return home, they no longer have access to them unless they purchase their own. Scarlett and I’s goal is to have a mount ready for patients to use by late January.
Materials, Expenses, and Tools
Materials
So far, the only material we have used is PLA. We will continue to use PLA until we finalize our prototype. Once we have a final design, we will shift to a more durable and stronger material. Currently, PLA makes the most sense for our prototypes because it is inexpensive and there is easy access to it in the lab.
Possible materials: Aluminum, Acetal, and Reinforced Plastic
- We are still looking into the pros, cons, and logistics of all of these materials.
Expenses
PLA for one clamp is approximately $15.00 A bag of heat-set threaded inserts is on average about $20.00 A bag of screws is on average about $6.00 A bag of nuts is on average about $10.00 for hundreds A roll of rubber grip tape is $7.00 A roll of spring wire can be found at $150.00 for 500 feet, which is 30 cents/foot In total, the cost for one mount is about $17.00 which is a very significant decrease in price compared to the current clamps available on the market.
Tools
- 3D printer
- Heat gun for heat-set threaded inserts
Moving Forward
- Finding a balance of stability, cost, and weight
- Replicate the spring mechanism
- Use the threaded inserts
- Adapt design to fit the modular hose
Conceptual Reference
This phone mount by Hardware Lab (Creator on Printables) served as the inspiration for our initial design. We chose to base our project on this because the locking joints and mobility of the mount align with the mount that Caroline and I are trying to create. We knew that the main points that would not work for our project are the top phone holder parts and the base of the mount.
Printables Prototype - Actual Mount Design
Under the title Model Files, there are downloadable links to every piece used thus far. Currently, we are editing and redesigning certain pieces, but listed below are all of the pieces we have printed and the quantity.
- Parts 1-6, Part 7 29mm, Parts 8-10, Two of Parts 11-15, Part 16 180mm, Parts 17-20, Part 21 180mm, Parts 22-27, and Part 32
Design Aspects:
Clamp:
The design above is not our design. This clamp came from the printables mount linked above. When testing the clamp, the bottom would bend when tightened and it would slide easily.
This is a photo of the current clamp that Atrium Health Rehab Center uses.
As we redesign the clamp, we are working to make it more sturdy and to fit on more surfaces. Additionally, we will add and grip to the inside to prevent sliding.
Joints:
This was the first ratchet joint that we looked at using. It did not move easily or lock easily.
These are the current locking ratchet joints that we are using. The issue is that it is incredibly difficult to get the arms to connect to the joints. There were several arms that we broke in trying to slide them into place. Additionally, the joints are easy to move and lock easily, but the lock is not incredibly strong.
These are some of our key design considerations:
- Stability
- During gameplay, the mounts will be pushed against repeatedly and cannot move, or else it will impact the patient’s ability to successfully use them
- Many patients deal with involuntary movements, where it is possible that the mount would get hit and in the case of this occurring, the mounts must be sturdy enough to remain unmoved
- Customizations
- As the patients are using their heads to press the buttons on the mounts, the mounts need to be right next to their heads, which can be very different heights for different people
- Many patients have other assistive technology being used at all times or IVs, catheters, and critical medical devices. The mounts need to clamp onto tables (flat surfaces) or wheelchairs (round surfaces) in order to accommodate patients’ other necessities
- The length of the mounts needs to be customizable in terms of the mount coming from behind the patients or the side. This helps accommodate patients who may feel crowded by too many pieces of equipment in front of them
- Mobility
- As mentioned before, the length needs to be adjustable for individual patients, but the mount needs to be flexible and easy to change the angles of attachments
Moving Forward
- Finding a more sturdy material to print with. Find a balance of stability, cost, and weight
- Redesigning the clamps so they fit onto tables and wheelchairs (rounded and flat surfaces)
- Design mount attachments focusing mainly on the ball joint as the connecting point
- Tightening the joints between the arms, making them more secure
- Making the arms snap into place more easily
Conceptual Reference
This phone mount by Hardware Lab (Creator on Printables) served as the inspiration for our initial design. We chose to base our project on this because the locking joints and mobility of the mount align with the mount that Caroline and I are trying to create. We knew that the main points that would not work for our project are the top phone holder parts and the base of the mount.
Printables Prototype - Actual Mount Design
Under the title Model Files, there are downloadable links to every piece used thus far. Currently, we are editing and redesigning certain pieces, but listed below are all of the pieces we have printed and the quantity.
- Parts 1-6, Part 7 29mm, Parts 8-10, Two of Parts 11-15, Part 16 180mm, Parts 17-20, Part 21 180mm, Parts 22-27, and Part 32
Design Aspects:
Clamp:
The design above is not our design. This clamp came from the printables mount linked above. When testing the clamp, the bottom would bend when tightened and it would slide easily.
This is a photo of the current clamp that Atrium Health Rehab Center uses.
As we redesign the clamp, we are working to make it more sturdy and to fit on more surfaces. Additionally, we will add and grip to the inside to prevent sliding.
Joints:
This was the first ratchet joint that we looked at using. It did not move easily or lock easily.
These are the current locking ratchet joints that we are using. The issue is that it is incredibly difficult to get the arms to connect to the joints. There were several arms that we broke in trying to slide them into place. Additionally, the joints are easy to move and lock easily, but the lock is not incredibly strong.
10/30
Today we had our first meeting with the rest of the people that will be helping with the Fablab Rehab collaboration with Pearl. The goal of the meeting was to communicate to them Scarlett, Karlin, Marisol, and I’s positions of leadership as well as their roles coming forward. To determine their roles, we sent out a google form where they could submit however much experience they have with basic things like 3D printing, laser cutting, soldering, up to more advanced tasks like milling and using Fusion360 and divided them into four groups: no experience, novice, intermediate, and advanced. We are going to make the groups so that people can do tasks that they are good at and for the people who have little to no experience, we will host training sessions before and after school to teach them engineering skills. This project involves a lot of printing out designs and making small changes to designs in Fusion 360, which would take entirely too long if it was just the four leaders working on the project, so it will cut down a lot of time and increase our efficiency to have these underclassmen helping.
11/03
Since my job is to manage correspondence between Atrium/ the Pearl and CLS, I drafted an email today to achieve these goals:
- Update of where we are
- Tell them about how we’re going to have more students for the spring
- Underclassmen are getting involved to help us increase our capabilities of improving things
- How can we schedule something in the future - are saturdays possible
- How can we start exploring what other internships and opportunities are available with Pearl In the email I described our progress with the donning tubes and quad sticks as well as described the benefits of having a group of underclassmen work on the project. I also asked about times that we could go in to meet with them in the future. Lastly, I asked about the future opportunities we may receive from Atrium and the Pearl through internships or shadowing experiences.
11/05
Scarlett and I assembled the parts of the mount that we had previously printed out and had to reprint. While assembling, we realized that some of the parts were not working/fitting into the rest of the pieces so we are reprinting just those parts that weren’t working and will assemble them when they are ready.
This is how far we got today in our assembly of the mount:
There were also a few pieces that we did not end up using because the print had not finished so the pieces were incomplete:
11/07
I finished drafting the email to the people at Atrium and the Pearl and sent it out. My process for drafting this email was to first write notes about what needed to be said, then make a rough draft, then run it through Gemini to ensure that everything sounded professional and concise, while still getting the point across.
11/11
We had our first check-in meeting today with Ms. Heather over zoom to discuss our progress and go over any modifications they would want for our designs that we have made/found. We were able to send over the designs for the quadsticks because those did not need any changes, but we needed to figure out a way for the donning tubes to still hold on to the compression socks because with the handles, the socks can not be pulled all the way over the edge. To combat this problem, we just added a ledge around the outside of the donning tube so that the sock could hook into that spot and the design could still have the handles to ensure that it was still accessible for patients with less mobility. Scarlett and I showed our progress with the video game mounts and determined with Ms. Heather that the joints we were using were working well, but we needed to explore other attachment and clamp options so that the mounts could be adaptable to tables, wheelchairs, and other kinds of things it may need to hold such as a cellphone. To help us see how we can improve the current modular hose mounts that they are using right now, Atrium is going to give us a couple feet to experiment with as we try to solve their stability problem.
12/10
We had our second in-person meeting at Atrium today. Marisol gave her a few updates on the progress with training the underclassmen in CAD and 3D printing. So far she has had about 6 training sessions and a few of the underclassmen are working on some smaller projects like the bookholder and cutting board. Marisol also showed her the prototype of the current donning tube design and it was approved by Ms. Heather. Karlin showed the different quadstick mouthpieces that she had printed out and she was advised to make them a little bigger and also try to make a design with the screws, normally separate, built in. Scarlett and I demonstrated the mount model that we have with the current attachments. We determined that the ball joint attachment is going to be the most useful because it has the best range of motion compared to the other attachment that can only spin around on one axis. Coming out of this meeting, I am going to be working on designing a clamp that is adaptable to tables and to wheelchairs using their current clamp as a model. Scarlett is going to focus on designing more attachments that can all be put onto our mount design.
These are the pictures of the current clamp they are using and the parts of the design we found:
These are all of the files for the clamp design that we’ve been using: Download articulated-arm-model_files.zip
My goal is to create a clamp in Fusion360 that looks like the clamp that they are using because it is adjustable to wheelchairs and tables, but their current problem is that it is expensive and they keep losing the piece that makes it fit a table. To fix this, I am going to add a little part on the clamp where the piece that gets lost can connect to the larger part of the clamp with a string.
01/06
The current mount being used at the hospital can range from $345.00 to $485.00 and the clamp is included in the purchase. An advantage to creating this mount separate from the actual mount is that we can produce extra and the patients will not need to purchase an entire mount if they need just a clamp. Open current mount
01/07
Task analysis
- Design Specs Creation with your team what about tolerances
- Discuss with with the client (hospital)
- Find a material I should put on the inside of the clamp to avoid scratching tables
- Most likely a thin rubber so it is soft, but still has traction
- Create update of BOM materials
- Place order
- Find dimensions of the adaptable clamp
- Replicate in fusion 360
- Will have to be movable
- Make modifications based on what the nurses need
- Place to attach the adaptable piece so it doesn’t get lost
- Print out more of just those adaptable pieces to replace the ones they have already lost
- Measure the current mount
- Recreate in Fusion 360
- Needs to be interactive
- Adapt the design to the current mount design we are using
- There will need to be a part that the mount can be screwed into and it will need to have the correct threading to match the screw on the mount
- Run simulations in Fusion360
- Do test prints to troubleshoot
- Test the printed clamps with the mount
- Based on those results I will make changes where necessary
- Repeat steps 12-14 as needed.
- Meet with the people at Atrium to show progress and ask for feedback
- Implement feedback into the design
- Repeat steps 12-17 as needed.
01/08
The current adaptable clamp that they use at Atrium has rubber grips so that it has more traction on whatever surface it’s attached to, but if we are going to use 3D printers to make the clamp, then that would be really slippery and move around a lot. In order to get rid of this problem, we can replicate their current clamp by using a rubber grip with adhesive on the back to put inside the clamp. I found a roll of grip that would be useful for this project. Below is the link, cost, dimensions, and description. Grip for mount - https://www.worant.com/product-p-720922.html Cost: $6.49 Dimensions: 0.8in x 16ft Description: Ultra thin, strong adhesive, anti-slip, waterproof, heat resistant, and wear-resistant cushion pad
01/09
I created a BoM for the adaptable mount today so that I can order the roll of grip tape as well as get an estimated cost of what the clamp will be. I don’t know yet how much the PLA will cost per clamp since I haven’t designed it yet, but once I do that I can get the total cost. This is the link to the BoM that I will be updating throughout this project: Open BoM
I’m unable to find the dimensions or a blueprint of the clamp anywhere, but I did come across this site Table Mounts for Switches that has clear pictures of what the clamp looks like and a short description of some of its features: “Light 3D table mounts with one, two or three tubes each equipped with QuickShift joints, a SuperClamp and either a Universal Device Socket (UDS) or a Spigot Link System (SLS).” From this point on I will be able to use that clamp as a reference and design the parts that are still necessary by myself. This specific clamp has four versions that can be attached to different kinds of mount types, but since we only have one design for the mount, only one type of clamp will be needed.
Features I am going to keep:
- The tightening mechanism on the backside that screws the two jaws closer
- Rubber grips
- Removable wedge for flat surfaces
- Attachment for mount arms
01/12
I started designing the clamp today in Fusion360. I am not concerned with the dimensions currently because I am going to get a clamp from Atrium to use as a reference since I can not find dimensions anywhere online. I focused on the top half of the clamp where the adaptable piece is to better understand how it attaches into the clamp.
01/13
Today, I continued to research materials for the clamp and construct the clamp in Fusion 360. I also spoke with Scarlett about her progress with the mount attachments while I updated her on my own. So far she has printed out an intial design for the plate and making changes based on how it worked. One problem she has is while she was designing, she did not take into account that the ball joint would need another screw between the ball and the plate so there was no way to attach it to the mount. I showed her my current design and showed her my task analysis sheet for my next steps.
01/15
I searched more online for the dimensions of the clamp before emailing Mrs. Smith, but after I still couldn’t find them I emailed her asking if I could come by the rehab center to borrow a clamp. This will help me to progress much faster with the design because as of right now I have been designing the clamp without any thought about the sizes of the parts.
01/16
I ordered the clamp today with the mount from enabling devices so that I can just have my own here to take measurements from. For the rest of class I helped send emails to the underclassmen who are helping us with designing and printing the devices. 704-609-3773 tom.dubick@charlottelatin.org
02/09
I started designing the top component of the clamp today using the measurements I’ve been taking. I made a rough outline of the shape of the clamp and created the hole at the top where the mounts get inserted. To create the cross section I used two rectangles laid over one another and I used the dimension tool to align and center them.
02/10
No class today.
02/11-12
Over the course of these two days, I concentrated on modeling the elongated top component of the clamp assembly in Fusion. I created a 2D sketch using the outward facing side of the elongated section as a reference plane and creating the two holes. I used the dimension tool to ensure that the holes were lined up symmetrically. Then, I started designing one of the attachment slots where the top and bottom clamp bodies will fit together. This required multiple offset planes and offset faces to accurately capture the geometry of the part. Because the component includes varying thicknesses and recessed regions, I relied on repeated sketches and extrude features (both Join and Cut operations) to build up the layered structure while maintaining parametric control. This component was particularly challenging due to the number of offset surfaces and the need to reference existing geometry without breaking the design timeline. I used projected geometry to maintain alignment between sketches and carefully managed feature dependencies to avoid sketch failures during edits.
02/13-17
We had a long break during these days so I finished the entire top of the clamp. I finished the rest of the slot where it will attach to the bottom part and then I used the Cut extrude tool to copy it onto the other side. To bring back the divider in the middle, I created a new sketch on the bottom and made a rectangle with the dimensions of the current divider. To create the triangle where the adaptable piece can go in, I created a triangle on the side and then used Cut extrude to carve out the triangle shape throughout the whole top. Then I created a sketch on the top and added the holes. The two holes that are to the left and the right of the center hole have threads that go all the way through to wear the adaptable piece fits in. The other two that are above and below the center hole also have threads, but do not go all the way through the clamp. On the bottom of the elongated part, I made the slot where the nut will fit in. I started with Cut extruding a rectangle that was as wide as the diameter of the nut and as long as the width of the nut. I found a hexagon calculator online in order to find all the dimensions for the inside of the slot.
I also designed the adaptable piece that fits into the larger clamp component. Most of the dimensions were referenced from the clamp top design rather than the adaptable piece itself, since the insert needed to match the geometry I had already created. The most challenging part was keeping everything centered without overconstraining the sketches. I had to carefully apply constraints so the geometry stayed aligned while still allowing flexibility for adjustments. I also ran into some difficulty modeling the middle section and creating extrude cuts from sketches that were not on the same plane to remove material from the larger triangular body. To manage this, I worked step by step through each sketch and feature so that if something needed to be changed, it wouldn’t affect the entire model.
02/18-24
During this period of time I had a lot of trial and error with printing the two pieces because the adjustable piece did not fit into either the clamp top that I had replicated or the original because the midsection was too short. After adjusting the midsection it fits into the original clamp. After printing the top of the clamp I realized that I had make the holes where the adjustable piece should attack too small, so I had to go back into the fusion design to create larger ones. This was an easy fix as I just had to go back into the timeline and change the dimensions of a couple circles. I also enlarged some of the other parts where screws need to be inserted because they came out too small. A problem that I have been trying to solve is having the correct threading for the screws that are normally used with the clamp, as Fusion 360 does not always have the correct threading. After doing some research, I found that I can use heat-set threaded inserts which will melt the filament as I push them into the holes and then solidify inside the piece once it cools. This will be much better since threading can strip over time especially when the material is filament, so this will last longer and I can choose the correct threading instead of having to change the screws that are used as well.
clamp top downloadable .stl file: Download clamp top.stl
adjustable piece downloadable .stl file: Download adaptable piece 3.stl
Printed clamp top and adjustable piece:
02/25
I started the bottom part of the clamp today with a rough outline, just trying to get the general shape of the piece. I did not face any difficulties with doing this since the only functions I was using were creating rectangles/triangles and extruding faces.
02/26
No class
02/27
I added the two studs in the middle today and also created the space where the rubber grip tape will be inserted. One challenge I ran into during this part was creating the flat edges on the round studs so they would fit properly with the top piece of the clamp. I had to adjust the measurements several times and redo multiple extrusions and sketches to get everything to line up correctly.
One thing that helped a lot during this process was being able to go back into the timeline and edit earlier sketches instead of starting over. To make sure both studs were mirror images of each other, I created an offset plane in the center of the piece and then used the mirror tool to duplicate the feature onto the other side.
My final touches were just adding fillets to the edges to make them more smoothe.
clamp bottom downloadable .stl file: Download clamp bottom.stl
Printed clamp bottom:
Printed clamp pieces all together:
Download video
02/30
No class
02/31
In preparation for our meeting with Ms. Heather Smith tomorrow, Karlin, Scarlett, Marisol and I created a meeting agenda addressing the different questions and updates we had for her. These are the notes/topics I want to discuss with her:
- Done with the design, I just need to add in the inserts
- Show her the design and show her the inserts
- I also need to figure out the spring part
- Ask about how we want the mount insert to work because it isn’t something i can model in Fusion
02/32
Today we met with Ms. Smith. After showing her the completed design, I asked about the issue with the section where the mount is inserted into the clamp. She explained that it was not necessary to keep that feature in the design because it is mainly used for quickly moving a mount from one place to another, which is not something that is used regularly. She also suggested creating an alternative version of the design with a top that the modular hose can snap onto. To do this, I will create a new body in Fusion360 and model the shape of one of the modular hose segments. I will then integrate that piece into the existing design I have already created. Finally, we discussed the next steps for the project, which include installing the heat set threaded inserts into the design and finding a way to replicate the spring component of the clamp.
02/33
We watched presentations during class today.
02/34
I presented today and then watched others present.
Final Reflection:
Working on the Fablab Rehab collaboration with Atrium and the Pearl taught me a lot about how complex a real engineering project can be and how much coordination it requires. At the beginning of the project, a large focus was on organization and leadership. My role involved managing communication between our team and the hospital partners, which meant writing professional emails, scheduling meetings, and making sure everyone stayed updated on our progress. We also organized underclassmen into different experience groups so that they could contribute to the project while learning new engineering skills. This helped me realize that large projects cannot be completed by just a few people working independently because they require clear communication, collaboration, and delegation so that everyone can contribute efficiently.
Through the design process, I realized how iterative engineering is because designing the clamp in Fusion 360 required many rounds of modeling, printing, testing, and revising. Often the first version of a part would not fit correctly or would need adjustments to dimensions, threading, or alignment. For example, several of my prints had to be redesigned because the adjustable insert did not fit properly or the holes for screws were too small. Instead of starting over each time, I learned how to use the design timeline in Fusion 360 to modify earlier sketches and features. I also had to research alternative solutions when something did not work as expected, such as using heat set threaded inserts instead of printing threads directly into the plastic. This process showed me that engineering is rarely about getting the design right the first time.
Another important lesson from this project was the value of working with real people. Meeting with the team at Atrium helped guide many of our design decisions because they could explain how the devices are actually used by patients. For example, during one meeting we learned how important having a water bottle holder that can attach to a wheelchair mount is because some of the patients have issues with regulating blood pressure. This experience made me realize how many every day functions I never think about doing, but it is actually a priviledge to have the ability to do them.
This project also helped me learn more about myself as an engineer and leader. I realized that I enjoy the challenge of solving design problems and figuring out how different components fit together. At the same time, I learned that patience and persistence are essential when working on a long-term project. Many parts of the clamp required multiple attempts before they worked correctly, and each mistake became an opportunity to improve the design. I also gained confidence in my ability to communicate professionally with collaborators and take responsibility for a key part of the project.
If I were to continue this project, my next steps would focus on refining and validating the clamp design. I would complete the integration of the heat set threaded inserts and continue testing the printed clamp to ensure it is durable and stable when supporting the mount. I would also work on replicating the spring mechanism and exploring the alternative design that allows the modular hose to snap directly onto the clamp. After finalizing the design, I would want to test the clamp with the hospital staff and gather feedback from actual users. This would allow me to make final improvements and ensure that the design is reliable, affordable, and practical for clinical use.