The parallel bars is used in physical therapy and is mainly used for patients who have to train walking and balance after a stroke or an operation. It consists of two long handrails with two legs on each handrail. These legs go down into two ground-plates and are locked at the wanted height with a pin. The parallel bars is an appreciated device and is used on a daily basis in many care units. The main issue with the manual parallel bars is that it is very difficult and heavy for a single person to adjust the height of it. If a larger adjustment of the height has to be done, the legs have to be adjusted one at a time otherwise the they will be locked. Often the height isn’t adjusted after every single patient because it’s so difficult and therefore the training doesn’t get optimal for patient. The purpose with this project has been to find a solution that makes the height easier to adjust, so that the parallel bars will be adjusted after each patient. Our goal was to develop and produce a functional prototype of the solution. The result was Levo which is a lifting device that complements the parallel bars. Levo is a simple product to handle and has wheels which makes it easy to move around. To adjust the height of the parallel bars with Levo, place Levo in the middle of the handrail and press the button. The handrail will go up and the button can be released when the right height is reached. To lower the handrail, press the button and push the handrail down. Release the button when it has reached the wanted height. Levo has a construction which makes it possible to use as a complement to almost every manual parallel bars on the market. For a product to be used in care units it has to meet special demands. To know which demands and what properties Levo had to fulfill to be a product that physiotherapists could use and wanted in their work, we contacted several physiotherapists. For example the product could not have any sharp edges and had to be easy to clean. The product also had to be easy and fast to use when the height of the parallel bars should be adjusted. The physiotherapists point of view was in consideration during the developing process of Levo and many different solutions was compared to find an optimal solution that fulfilled all the demands. / Den manuella gåbarren är ett hjälpmedel inom sjukgymnastiken för att träna patienter i gång och balans. Barren är uppbyggd av två långa ledstänger med två ben på vardera ledstång. Dessa ben sitter fast i varsin bottenplatta som håller ihop barren på bredden och hindrar den från att välta. Gåbarren är ett uppskattat hjälpmedel och används på de flesta sjukgymnastikenheter inom sjukvården i Sverige. För att kunna reglera höjden på ledstängerna efter patientens behov behöver vårdpersonalen lösgöra benen i bottenplattan samt lyfta ledstången till önskat läge för att sedan låsa benet i det läget. När barren behöver justeras flera höjdlägen behöver arbetet göras stegvis på alla ben då benen annars låser sig för varandra. Eftersom arbetet med att justera höjden på barren är tungt och tidskrävande slarvas det ofta med att anpassa höjden efter varje patient. Detta i sin tur kan bli ett problem för patienten som inte får en optimal träning i barren. Syftet med projektet är att hitta en lösning till problemet med höjdjusteringen som gör det enkelt för vårdpersonalen att justera höjden för varje patient. Målet är att ta fram en fungerande prototyp på lösningsförslaget. Resultatet blev produkten Levo som är en separat lyftanordning till gåbarren. Levo är en smidig och lättanvänd produkt som är enkel att flytta till barren då den har hjul. Levo används genom att den placeras under barrens ena ledstång och höjden på Levo justeras med hjälp av en knapp. Önskas ledstången att höjas hålls knappen inne tills rätt höjdnivå uppnås. Skall ledstången sänkas hålls knappen inne tills rätt höjd har nåtts samtidigt som personen trycker ner ledstången. Fördelen med Levo är att den utför det tunga arbetet med att lyfta barren, samtidigt som den inte är i vägen för patienten eftersom den enkelt kan flyttas undan efter användning. Den har inget behov av eluttag eller liknande eftersom lyftmekanismen i är en gasfjäder som inte kräver någon skötsel. Under arbetet med att ta fram Levo intervjuades sjukgymnaster för att få en uppfattning om vilka egenskaper och krav som produkten behöver uppfylla för att den ska få användas inom sjukvården, samt vara tilltalande för personalen. Den får till exempel inte ha vassa kanter och måste vara lätt att rengöra. En annan viktig del är att den måste vara lätt att använda och det skall gå snabbt att justera höjden på barren med den, annars är risken stor att den inte användas. Detta togs hänsyn till under framtagningen av Levo där flera olika typer av lyftmekanismer jämfördes för att hitta en optimal lösning som uppfyllde sjukgymnasternas krav.

The customer currently lifts caravans with an ordinary car jack in combination with a beam and a tractor. The customer wants to have a device which grants more safety and stability. The task is executed by two international students. In order to develop a new design, a methodical design process is used. This process does not contain all steps of a product development process and in consists in this case of four steps. The outcome of this product development process is a device which meets the technical requirements and which is validated by a computer simulation. The device is safe to use and stable. Besides, the device is mobile, thus storable, and adjustable, as the customer requested. Lastly, the students made some recommendations for using the device.

A good work environment is important for the individual, for industry and for society. The work environment research has, predominantly, targeted identification of problems and the measurement of the size of these problems. Innovations to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorder, MSD, have been introduced in different branches of industry, but with limited success. Few of the ergonomic innovations developed for the building and construction industry have reached a sufficient level of adoption. Ergonomic innovations in the health care sector are of an incremental character and seem to have similar problems of adoption as the ones in the building and construction industry. Three examples of ergonomic innovation are examined in the thesis: a glue spreader for floor layers a four-wheel walker with a lifting device a sonographer’s scanning support device The studies show that an ergonomic innovation is not adopted for prevention of occupational injury unless the innovation also has other relative advantages apart from the ergonomic ones. For the group who already has sustained an injury, it is enough that the ergonomic problems are solved, while the other, symptom-free group, requires other advantages in order to adopt the innovation; increased production economy seems to be the most prominent potential advantage. / <p>QC 20150114</p>

Introduction: Handcycling is an excellent exercise for people with spinal cord injuries. However, some users experience barriers to transferring to the handcycle. The most common barriers are the height difference between the handcycle and sitting surface and dependence on others. Purpose: This thesis aims to develop an assistive technology to help users independently transfer in and out of a handcycle. Methods: The framework for the thesis is the double-diamond, guiding the designing of the products concepts. Users, professionals, and manufacturers were interviewed regarding the facilitators and barriers while transferring in and out of the handcycle and the product needs to help prevent the barriers. A content analysis was performed to find the facilitators and barriers, and a need analysis was performed to find the needs for the product. The needs were translated into target specifications to have measurable characteristics. Benchmarking was performed, and the products were evaluated in regard to the target specifications. The market segment, personas, mood board, and design brief served to inspire and inform the specifications for the product. Brainstorming and sketching were performed to generate four concepts. The participants evaluated these concepts, and the top-ranked concept was further developed. A computer-aided model was created and rendered to better illustrate the product. A guide on how to use the product was developed based on TAI 4.0, which also was used to find limitations in the transfer technique of the new product. An evaluation regarding the target specifications was also performed. Result: The final product concept allows height transfer and can be used independently. It fulfills seven out of the seventeen target specifications in the current state. However, six target specifications cannot be defined yet as they should be developed further in other iterations. Conclusion: A lifting device concept for transferring was developed. It would still need further iterations to keep improving the product before it would be able to be released for users.

The literature cites several recurrent barriers that contribute to the under-utilization of patient lifting devices (PLDs) by caregivers (CGs), resulting in the profession being at high-risk for musculoskeletal injury. There is considerable evidence that training is a barrier to PLD use, due to the staff shortages and time constraints that result when CGs attend (provincially mandated) off-site hands-on practical training. Therefore, the current research program aims to contribute towards a better understanding of the barriers to the chronic concern of low PLD use by CGs, and, to evaluate an alternative approach that could be used to reduce the time CGs spend off the floor and enhance musculoskeletal health and well-being. Study 1 will conduct focus groups and administer a Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)-based questionnaire to better understand the barriers between (a) CGs’ knowledge (training/education) and intent to use PLDs, and (b) CGs’ intent to use PLDs and actual PLD use (i.e., behaviour). Also, patients and their family members will be interviewed to better understand the role of the patient as a potential barrier to PLD use. Study 2 will conduct focus groups with: (i) hospital staff who design, develop and deliver PLD training programs, (ii) unit managers, and (iii) new CG hires. Via questionnaire, Preceptors will evaluate the impact of the barrier subcategories identified on the perceived overall effectiveness of a PLD training program. Study 3 will explore the feasibility of implementing vicarious learning through observation (two intervention groups) as an effective alternative to off-site hands-on learning (control group) for new CG hires, with Preceptors evaluating the three groups’ effectiveness via a questionnaire. It is hypothesized that (a) training is an important barrier to the under-utilization of PLDs by CGs (Study 1), (b) there is a need for an effective alternative to off-site hands-on learning that does not remove CGs from units (Study 2), and (c) vicarious learning through observation is as effective as hands-on learning for the utilization of PLDs by new CG hires. / Thesis / Master of Science in Kinesiology

The aim of this thesis is to design and manufacture a lifting device to the Volkswagen Crafter long vehicle. In the first part, I present a simple descriptive overview of different lifting devices based on their principle and use. Next, commercially available alternative solutions to the given problem are shown and discussed. The main goals of the practical part are the design of the lifting device that fits to a carriage van according to given specifications and the description of the technological processes for the manufacturing of individual components of the device. The design includes selection of proper machines, measuring devices and working tools, which was carried out based on the available equipment. Finally, manufacturing, testing and evaluation are described and discussed together with the possibilities for future improvement.

A common problem in the design of hydraulic systems is the pressure losses caused by movement of viscous liquid in individual elements of hydraulic circuits. These losses have negative effects on the overall efficiency of hydraulic systems and thus their overall operation. There is a change in temperature of working fluid and components (elements) of circuit due to the result of the mentioned losses. This master thesis is focused on the heat generation (output) in hydraulic cubes of a linear integrated hydraulic cubes (here in after LIHJ) which is the prototype of hydraulic lifting equipment. Losses, arising during the operation LIHJ in pipes and in hoses, can be determined numerically and experimentally. Most of hydrostatic transmitters and others hydraulic components are almost always supplied with the necessary documentation which contains all the necessary information such as experimental characteristics, etc. However problematic parts are the hydraulic blocks which are specific to their size and function. Of course, each manufacturer must prepare technical documentation including characteristics which are important for trouble-free operation of the hydraulic system. The main aim of this work is to determine pressure losses and the heat generation (output) in the hydraulics blocks by program which is used for creating geometry and computing using software like Ansys Fluent, which is based on the finite element method. If these calculations could be compared with experimental measurement technically, then heat generation (output) in both the cubes will be evaluated towards other hydraulic components and the whole system (device). The simulation results will be implemented in software which is used for calculation of heat generation in LIHJ at different operating modes and loads. Furthermore, these results will be the basis for the design of geometry of hydraulic blocks with low pressure losses which will reduce energy consumption of the device. At the end of this thesis, some advanced methods for the manufacturing of hydraulic blocks are briefly introduced, namely the method 3-D casting.

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This thesis focuses on the development of a lifting device for roof mounted tents at the requestof Thule with the focus on improving the ergonomics during installation and removal of roofmounted tents on vehicles, while also enabling the process for one to two users. The work isstructured according to the Double Diamond model and uses established product developmentmethods to ensure a systematic process.The preliminary study consists of an analysis of ergonomic risk factors during heavy liftingusing the Swedish Work Environment Agency's (Arbetsmiljöverket) assessment template andRapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). These tools were used to evaluate current users ownsolutions for lifting roof mounted tents.After screening and selecting developed concepts, an existing plasterboard lift was modified tocreate a prototype. Modeling work was carried out in SolidWorks, where various componentsand modifications were visualized and tested before being integrated into the plasterboard lift.The final prototype integrates functions that enable tilt and lifting of the roof tent, whichreduces the need for manual lifting and thus the risk of physical damage because of overloadsas well as minimizing needed storage space.The prototype was tested and evaluated where the results showed an improvement inergonomics and ease of use during lifting, facilitating movement of roof mounted tents betweenvehicles and storage while being able to be stored together with the tent with minimal impacton space requirements.Lastly, the work suggests further strength tests and investigation of better suited lift functionsfor future development to improve safety and lifting device efficiency. / Detta examensarbete fokuserar på utvecklingen av en lyftanordning för taktält på begäran avThule med huvudfokus att förbättra ergonomin vid på- och avmontering av taktält på fordonoch förenkla momentet för en till två personer. En framtagen lösning ska även bidra till minskadbränsle- och energiförbrukning för fordonet då det ska vara enklare och mer inspirerande attmontera av taktältet från fordonet när det inte är planerat att användas.Arbetet är strukturerat enligt Double Diamond-modellen och använder etableradeproduktutvecklingsmetoder för att säkerställa en systematisk process.Förstudien består av analys av ergonomiska riskmoment vid tunga lyft med hjälp avarbetsmiljöverkets bedömningsmall och Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Dessa verktyganvändes för att utvärdera nuvarande användares egna lösningar för lyft av taktält. Eftersållning och val av framtagna koncept modifierades en befintlig gipsskivlyft för att skapa enprototyp. Modelleringsarbete utfördes i SolidWorks, där olika komponenter och modifieringarvisualiserades och testades innan de integrerades i gipsskivlyften. Den slutliga prototypenintegrerar funktioner som möjliggör ”tilt” och lyft av taktält vilket minskar behov av manuellalyft och därmed risken för fysiska skador som konsekvens av överbelastningar.Prototypen testades och utvärderades där resultaten visade en förbättring av ergonomi ochanvändarvänlighet under lyft av taktält, underlättar förflyttning av taktält mellan fordon ochförvaring samtidigt som den kunde förvaras tillsammans med taktält med minimal påverkanpå krav av utrymme.Sammanfattningsvis föreslår arbetet ytterligare hållfasthetstester och undersökning av bättrelämpade hissfunktioner för framtida utveckling för att förbättra säkerheten ochlyftanordningens effektivitet.