Prototyping and Design Lab

The Prototyping and Design lab is housed together with BCIT’s APH and CREATE labs where other machining equipment is also available. This shop cluster has state-of-the-art prototyping equipment ideal for accessible technology development.

Key resources in the Prototyping and Design Lab include a water-jet cutter, rapid prototyping machine, pneumatic bender, spot welder, pipe bender, tube bender, and a 3D CAD workstation.

Design Usability and Evaluation Lab

The Design Usability and Evaluation Lab includes several environments for user testing and product evaluation:

• Mobility obstacle course: a configurable course with a variety of basic components (e.g., different surfaces, speed bumps, curb descent, and slalom course) suitable for evaluating the usability and performance of wheelchairs and other mobility equipment.

• Home Access Evaluation Lab

  Home Access Evaluation Lab: a wooden “porch” set up with several home access solutions (a staircase with 5 stairs, a 1:12 grade ramp, a Bruno Elite stair glide, a Savaria platform lift, and a novel home access solution built and designed at BCIT).

• Adapted Exercise and lab: a space containing various commercially available exercise machines (including machines adapted for use by people with mobility impairments) equipped with sensors to monitor power inputs. Assorted wheelchair componentry is also available for prototyping and testing.

Wheelchair Test Lab

The Wheelchair Test Lab includes test rigs for structural and fatigue testing of wheelchairs and their components or attachments (Double Drum and Drop tests).  The equipment has been designed based on RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) / ISO (International Organization for Standardization) specifications.  The test rigs are larger than units found in most other labs in order to accommodate “bariatric” wheelchairs.

Contact Us

Jaimie Borisoff
Rehabilitation Engineering Design
Director, MAKE+
BCIT Centre for Applied Research & Innovation
4355 Mathissi Place
Burnaby, BC V5G 4S8