Conceptual Design Of The Crutches Using TRIZ-Biomimetics Method

Tan, Jia Wei (2020) Conceptual Design Of The Crutches Using TRIZ-Biomimetics Method. Project Report. UTeM, Melaka, Malaysia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

Crutch is a medical device that give assistance to disabled people in walking. Most of the crutches are made of hollow tube that consists low resistance of local buckling and ovalization. This study explained the conceptual design processes of the crutches using Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) with the integration of Biomimetics method. There are still many constraints in order to implement the nature technology into engineering designs discipline. Biomimetics known as a method in mimicking the technology of the nature were used in this study to be the bridge of the technology transfer. The objectives of this study are to generate the design concepts of crutch based on TRIZ Function Oriented Search (FOS) with Biomimetics method and selecting the best design concepts using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. This study has been carried out through eight processes namely problem identification, function analysis, TRIZ (FOS) – Biomimetics method, biological strategies, design concept generation, performance analysis, results/data gathering and final design concept selection. The preliminary result shows that the design concept 1 (DC1) using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites material is the ideal solution among the 20 design variables. Then, the design of the DC1 was optimized to achieved the optimum results. The final result shows that the optimized design concept 1 (DC1-new) with CFRP material is the most ideal solution among 6 design variables (CFRP material). The weight of the DC1-new has been reduced by 28% (from 0.540 kg to 0.385 kg) and the safety factor has been improved from 10.31 to 4.52. As a conclusion, TRIZ (FOS) – Biomimetics method succesfully shows that it can be the medium in transferring the nature technology into engineering design to generate the design concepts while TOPSIS method can evaluate multiple alternatives (design concepts) with multiple criteria to select the ideal solution of the design for the crutches. The integrated method of TRIZ (FOS) – Biomimetics and TOPSIS can assists designers, engineers and researchers in transferring the biological technology into engineering designs to solve the engineering problems.

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