SteerMaster

For a class project, we worked with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (a rehabilation hospital) to address a challenge faced by recreational therapy patients who use recumbent trikes to improve lower limb muscle function but lack the arm strength to steer independently. This forces therapists to bend down to steer for them, leading to lower back strain over time. To address this issue, we collaborated with a physical therapist to design the SteerMaster, a device that allows therapists to steer recumbent trikes while standing upright. The SteerMaster features two aluminum rods attached to the handlebars, enabling the therapist to steer by pushing the rods forward and backward. After observing the trike usage setting, testing multiple mockups, and refining the design, we developed a final prototype that is quickly detachable, low-profile, minimally invasive for patients, and accommodates a wide range of trike movements.