Putting your best foot forward: Developing a toe brace

Inventor & Developer (Jan. 2020- present)

I took on a personal project to develop a toe brace for a family member to improve comfort and ability to balance and walk.

Through this personal project I was able to go through each stage of device development– from inital requirements gathering and research, to designing and solutioning, to finally testing and gathering feedback. I’ve learned that I like to engage with people to solve problems, be hands-on with developing a solution, and gain feedback to improve both my prototype and myself.

The Goal

  • Develop a toe brace for a family member to improve comfort and ability to balance and walk

Skills and Knowledge Required

  • Knowledge of anatomy and physiology, including joint movements (acquired through Biomechanics, and Anatomy and Physiology courses)
  • Knowledge of assistive devices (acquired through Rehab Engineering courses)
  • Skills to design a prototype which can be 3D printed
  • Knowledge of how to 3D a suitable prototype

My Role

Inventor & Developer

  • Understand the needs of the individual
  • Design a flexible solution to suit lifestyle
  • Communicate and gather feedback for further iterations

Work Conducted

  • User research, gathering needs and requirements
  • Research and use of different materials to balance function and comfort
  • 3D print design and execution
  • Assembly of 3D printed parts
  • Gather feedback and consider iterating on design

Skills Developed

Technical

  • Use of TinkerCad to design the device
  • 3D print design
  • Acquired 3D printing certification

Non-technical

  • Gather requirements
  • Coordinate and communicate with individual for device fitting and measurements
  • Communicate device considerations
  • Gather feedback on initial prototype

Challenges & Learnings

Effective requirements gathering and user research

Challenge 1

  • How do you conduct effective user research and distinguish between user needs and user wants?

Approach to Overcome Challenge 1

  • Get an understanding of the user’s lifestyle
  • Look at the “why” behind the request/need for the device
  • Explore co-designing the solution with the user

Lessons Learned

  • Requirements gathering and exploring background before prototyping (user needs vs. user wants) is essential
  • Co-designing the solution with the user can bring out details that might have been missed in the requirement gathering interview and ensure a successful solution

Challenge 2

  • How do you optimize 3D printing settings such as speed, external and internal supports etc.?

Approach to Overcome Challenge 2

  • Research and understand how the various settings on the 3D printer work to build your object
  • If the budget allows, try different settings and adjustments for the 3D printed pieces and test these pieces

Lessons Learned

  • I created a handful of defective prototypes before I was able to develop something that could be thoroughly tested
  • I learned that the balance between 3D printer speed, brim, and support makes all the difference, and getting the right balance can be a trial and error process.

Deliverables Produced

  • Toe brace with inner cushion layer for comfort
  • First prototype was printed in PLA as the 3D-printer used was not compatible with Ninja Flex flexible rubber material.
  • Cushioning and Velcro strap was added to the final design to ensure a proper comfortable fit.

Next Steps

Iterate based on feedback until a comfortable, suitable solution is found.

3D-printing healthcare brace