Students design exercise device for people with paraplegia

Five Northeastern University student-researchers have retrofitted a rowing machine with an ingenious device, allowing people with paraplegia to exer­cise without the aid of a trainer.


The Capstone group recently filed a provisional patent on the device, which has drawn interest from Concept2, the leading manufacturer of indoor rowers. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.

Boston, Massachusetts – The modified ergometer, dubbed the “power row,” was designed for a senior capstone project under the direction of Sandra Shefelbine, an asso­ciate professor of mechanical and industrial engi­neering. Team members comprised Margaret Bergson, Robert Griffith, Jenna Hormann, Chris Parfitt, and Nikita Shah, all E’15.

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Source: Northeastern University