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Professor Scott Hummel and Eric Haberland '11
After injuring his leg last year, mechanical engineering major Eric Haberland ’11 (Sewell, N.J.) went from mobile college student to someone who had trouble performing simple daily tasks. His dependence on crutches inspired the idea for his senior design project – a hands-free, variable-load crutch.
Doctors often prescribe underarm crutches to patients who experience a lower-leg injury requiring surgery or a cast. Once the patient begins using a medical walking boot, the patient will still use the crutches, only placing a portion of his or her weight on the crutches to ease the leg back into use. The problem with underarm crutches, as Haberland learned firsthand, is that it limits the patient’s use of his or hands in addition to the injured leg.
“The idea behind my project is to create a device that can be worn from injury to rehab, not require the use of the patient’s hands, and allow for the doctor to choose the amount of pressure applied to the leg at any time,” explains Haberland. “There are products on the market that provide hands-free operation, but my goal is to prototype a design that takes the best aspects of these designs and adds the ability to vary the load.”
Haberland’s initial prototype, which he plans to complete this semester, uses a brace that straps to the upper thigh and is controlled with small pneumatic (compressed air) cylinders. He has been working on the project since the summer.
Scott Hummel, associate professor and head of mechanical engineering, is advising him.
“The project requires him to use knowledge he has gained in many courses, including fluid dynamics, strength of materials, mechanical engineering design, and manufacturing,” says Hummel. “He’s also getting a great experience in project management. He manages all aspects of the project, including the budget and scheduling as well as the engineering.”
After graduation, Haberland plans to find a job where he can continue to apply what he’s learned in the classroom in a hands-on way. He previously served an internship at Armour Technologies in Swarthmore, Pa., owned by Andrew Armour ’89. The company engineers biomedical products for cardiac catheters.
“It is rewarding to see your hard work take shape, especially when you have been involved in a design from the beginning,” says Haberland. “I have always had an interest in designing and building new things, and I think the skills you learn as an engineer prepare you to deal with challenges later in life. Hopefully someday the hands-free crutch will lead to better quality of life for other patients recovering from leg or ankle injuries.”