Downhill Bike for Paraplegic

Summary of Problem

In December of 2008, Jordan Griffin, a close friend of mine, severed his spinal cord while attempting a front flip on a snowboard. After witnessing how his injury has affected him over the past six years, it has become apparent that there is a major lack of high adrenaline activities for paraplegics. Jordan, who was once a sponsored snowboarder, passionate biker, and the most active person I knew, is now confined to a wheelchair due to the lack of accessible activities. 


Project Description

Myself, along with a team of four Washington State University senior mechanical engineering students will design a four-wheeled full suspension mountain bike specialized for paraplegics. Since each paraplegic has specific needs, we will need to tailor this bike specifically to Jordan. This will include, but not be limited to, a redesigned braking system, customized dimensions, optimized shock absorbers, and a personalized seat. All the design work and manufacturing will be done by our team, with the exception of some critical welding. Throughout the design process we will focus on how to add simple features to facilitate different configurations and adjustments. This will allow for mass manufacturing since direct customization will be unnecessary, and would grant access for everyone to get out and enjoy life at high speeds. 


Donation Requests 

Due to the large demand of high quality parts, this project’s budget is somewhat large. To make this project possible we will need to obtain sponsorships and donations. With your help it will be possible to pursue this project and influence future innovations in order to start dismantling the barrier that paraplegics face when craving the need to be active.


Budget

Material Estimate                                    $1500

Shock Absorbers (4)                               $1600           

Brake sets (4)                                             $800

Wheels/Tires (2x20, 2x26)                $800
 
Handlebars (1)                                          $100

Shop Work                                                  $1200

Aesthetics                                                   $700

Total                                                               $6700
     

Timeline                                             

Preliminary Design                                           August 2015

Order Known Parts/Materials                   August 2015

Meet With Customer For Metrics           September 2015

Finalize Design                                                   September 2015

Production/Manufacturing                         November 2015

Complete Build                                                  December 2015

Test Product                                                        December 2015                                                                                 


Conclusion

After seeing how Jordan's spinal cord injury has affected him, it is apparent that nothing about him mentally has changed. His passion for extreme sports is still fully intact, but cannot be acted upon due to the lack of available equipment. For the past six years, Jordan has been unable to participate in any high adrenaline sport. With this project, Jordan will no longer be constrained to his bed or wheelchair, and will be reunited with the thrill of mountain biking. Ideally, this project will inspire more innovations in the extreme sports industry so that people with disabilities can once again pursue the passions they once enjoyed.



The following video is a documentry on Jordan Griffin: