Development and fabrication of novel pressure distributing polymer gel

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Vision Wheelchair Seating Systems is a Canadian manufacturer of wheelchair seating and positioning systems**and accessories, including cushions, back supports, and arm supports. Despite the benefits being offered by the**company's products, the company is currently targeting to develop a new cushioning technology that aids in**pressure distribution. In particular, a relentless challenge is to develop a polymer-based gel pack that can aids**in pressure distribution. Some design constraints include (i) the ingredients of the gel pack is to be made of**off-the-shelf components; and (ii) the gel pack must be latex-free. In this context, the main objective of this**proposed research is to develop a polymer-based gel material that with tunable flowability while being capable**to uniformly distribute pressure. The short-term objectives of the six-month project are:**(1) Design the formulations of a new material system with tailored rheological properties (e.g., viscosity);**(2) Characterization of designed materials to identify the optimal parameters for pressure distribution; and**(3) Develop a prototype to demonstrate the performance of the gel pack in aiding pressure distribution.