GoBabyGo: Modified Ride-On Cars for Kids
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Reva Johnson
College
Engineering
Discipline(s)
Bioengineering, Occupational Therapy
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-25-2024
Abstract
Adaptive and assistive technology is an important and ever growing field that allows for technological devices to greatly affect individual’s daily lives for the better. The GoBabyGo program allows for children to use modified ride-on cars to better interact with their environment in an independent and therapeutic way. The goal of this project is to work closely with occupational therapists to modify cars for children with conditions such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida for their individual needs. In order to further our understanding, we researched common modifications that have been made to ride-on toys in the past, including electrical modifications, physical support modifications, and the integration of different existing assistive devices. We also have met with the individual kids who applied for these modified devices, and worked closely with the occupational therapists to evaluate and assess each child’s individual needs in order for their car to have the greatest impact. We will use this information to then modify cars for each child specifically, and present the cars to them on a GoBabyGo build day, where they can test out the cars and we can make any modifications if necessary. This project integrates both bioengineering and occupational therapy in order to bring assistive technology into the lives of those who need it the most.
Recommended Citation
Lacey, Emma; Middleton, Abby; and Brothers, Quinn, "GoBabyGo: Modified Ride-On Cars for Kids" (2024). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1307.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1307