Adaptive Toy - Bubble Machine

Introduction

For this project, the goal is to adapt a bubble machine for a child with a physical delay or disability. The adaptations to the toy include: adding an audio jack to the toy so a large removable button can work with the toy and also adding a suction cup to secure the toy to the child's wheelchair tray.

Materials:

Bubble Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F7TS2TJ/ref=twister_B...

"Big Mac" Ablenet INC. button https://www.ablenetinc.com/buddy-button/

3.5 in diameter suction cup with bolt https://www.amazon.com/Graham-Field-9295A-Lumex-S...

3.5 mm female mono jack https://www.amazon.com/CESS-Female-Socket-Switch-...

Additional 22 gauge wires

Alligator clips

5/16 Wing nut

2 5/16 Washers

Tools:

Digital Multimeter

Soldering iron with solder

Drill with a 5/32 drill bit and a 5/16 drill bit

Wire strippers

One of the first steps in this project is to take the toy apart an get an understanding of how the toy is wired. Once understood how the toy is wired, a wiring diagram is then required for the adaptation. A major focus for the project is to figure out where the most practical spot for the audio jack to be placed is at. The biggest concern for this adaptation was to find the most practical method to be able to secure the bubble machine. We decided that an industrial suction cup with a bolt was the most practical solution for this.

Shown in the wiring diagram is how we planned on wiring the 3.5 mm audio jack into the toy. The next step from there was to take a digital multimeter and alligator clips and run the circuit in series and find out how much current the motor draws. From the test the 3V motor pulled about 330 mA, therefore we had to ensure that our 3.5 mm audio jack had a switch rating of at least 500 mA.

For this portion of the adaptation, we broke up the circuit and soldered the audio jack into the circuit, that way the removable Ablenet INC. button now can control the bubble machine. For this we took out the original button on the toy and put the audio jack into the circuit. Following that we drilled a 5/32 in. hole in the back of the toy and installed the audio jack.

Securing the toy was one of the most difficult portions of the project to figure out. This was due to limited space in the bottom of the toy and it had to be able to be removed from the child's tray as well. A suction cup with a bolt seemed to be the most effective solution to this concern. We then drilled a 5/16 in. hole in the bottom of the toy and placed the suction cup bolt with two washers and a 5/16 in. wing nut on the toy and tighten it. Following that we put the toy back together and thus the adaption was complete.

In this project we successfully adapted a bubble machine for a child with Cerebral Palsy. One of our goals was to rewire the bubble machine to fit an audio jack that works with a removable button. The other goal was have a method that can secure to the child's tray but is also removable. We accomplished both of these goals within our given time frame for this bubble machine.

One of the main points of inspirations for this project was from Makers Making Change

https://www.makersmakingchange.com/project/switche...

Another one is from Husky ADAPT specifically from slides 14 and 41.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eXh-xL5_PE...