During out visit to CRI we had the opportunity to present our prototype and explain our process. We also had the opportunity for a person who uses crutches to actually try out our oar holder. Their main feedback was that the oars are not balanced, which we expected. Their suggestion was that we create a triangle hold on the ends of the oars to keep them from tipping in either direction. The positives of our design were that it was easy to put on, comfortable, and overall did get the job done.
Another suggestion was that we take into account sitting positions and being on the floor while putting the oars in. Going forward, we will try to improve our prototype’s balance and ease of oar input. We will try to incorporate the suggested triangle shape design for stability of the oars and decrease the teetering it currently does.