Adaptive Dog Training Device
Large US puzzle and tactile alphabet letters to facilitate learning in the classroom for visually impaired
The Need
The client for this project is Jason Lake, a professional dog trainer and handler who was born with a congenital condition which leads to reduced mobility of his joints. Jason uses an electric wheelchair and due to his condition, he does not have the ability to easily throw balls and toys to the dogs he trains. He has stated that he would like to use a ball launcher that can shoot rubber balls approximately 2-10 feet within a couple of seconds in order to reward the dogs he is training and reinforce certain behaviors. The device should be designed such that he can drop the ball into it with little to no additional force provided, and simply press a button or trigger to shoot the ball.
The Solution
The plan to address our client’s needs is to create a dog-training device that attaches to his electric wheelchair. To make the launcher more convenient and less encumber some for the client, it would be mounted by magnets or another form of removable attachment system. This device would be able to shoot Gappay medium-sized rubber balls a distance of 2-10 feet as a reward system for dogs being trained by our client, Jason. Due to his range of motion, he will use his mouth to grab the rope that is attached to the ball and drop the ball into the device in order to load it. He will control the launcher by using a remote and instantaneously launch balls at the press of a button. The ball would likely be launched via a battery-powered piston mechanism which will retract back into place after firing.
The Team
Nitin Sadhia
Magan Lee
Sal Campo
Mars Keesey