Ascend
Turned what older adults told us about stairs into a working ball-screw stair-rail prototype that carries their loads for them.
- Role
- Led CAD, system design and requirements
- Team
- Team of 3
- Timeline
- Sept 2025 – Apr 2026
- Tools
- Fusion 360, FEA, 3D printing, Arduino, 80/20 T-slot
The problem and the people
Older adults struggle to carry groceries, laundry and packages on stairs, where balance and load together raise the risk of falling.
Research and insight
24 surveys and 5 interviews with older adults and caregivers. 41.7% found stairs with a load particularly difficult.
Ideas and choices
Coming in the content phase.
Engineering rationale
Ball-screw and NEMA 23 stepper drivetrain sized for a 35° incline, with a calculated 10.6× force margin.
Iterations
Binding fixed by cutting an over-constrained 4-rail layout to 2 rails and tuning flange clearance to 0.15–0.20 mm.
Result
50 binding-free test cycles. Honorable Mention, IMSE Senior Design Day.
Reflection
Coming in the content phase.