{"id":78395,"date":"2026-08-04T07:51:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:51:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=78395"},"modified":"2026-08-04T07:51:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:51:40","slug":"when-amelia-needed-a-wheelchair-a-utc-student-got-to-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/when-amelia-needed-a-wheelchair-a-utc-student-got-to-work\/","title":{"rendered":"When Amelia needed a wheelchair, a UTC student got to work"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A

Under the watchful eye of her mother, Kyndal Aiken, 2-year-old Amelia smiles as she tries out the mobility chair for the first time. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the hallway outside Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu\u2019s lab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 2-year-old Amelia Aiken put her hands on the pink wheels of her new mobility chair and started moving forward.<\/p>\n

She took to it almost immediately. The smile on her face said it all.<\/p>\n

For her mother, Kyndal Aiken, the moment meant a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s very rewarding. It\u2019s very exciting. You can\u2019t anticipate what her reaction is going to be,\u201d Aiken said about the July 30 introduction of Amelia to the chair built in Kaplanoglu\u2019s Biomechatronic and Assistive Technology Lab in UTC\u2019s College of Engineering and Computer Science. \u201cYou hope she\u2019s going to respond to it well, but there\u2019s nothing that I can make her do. So it\u2019s very exciting to see her take right to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That moment had been building for months.<\/p>\n

In early April, Aiken sent an email to the College of Engineering and Computer Science asking whether anyone might be willing to help. Her daughter, who has cerebral palsy, needed a mobility device that could help her move more independently.<\/p>\n

Aiken had learned about a 3D-printed Toddler Mobility Trainer, a child-sized mobility chair designed to help young children explore and move on their own. The family had already applied for one through an existing maker network, but after waiting a couple of months, no one had picked up the request.<\/p>\n

So she reached out to UTC.<\/p>\n

In the email, she asked whether UTC students might be willing to take on the project so Amelia could begin learning to use the chair before starting preschool.<\/p>\n

Amelia was unable to breathe at birth and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which affects her entire body. Her mother said Amelia\u2019s biggest long-term challenge is mobility\u2014being able to access things on her own.<\/p>\n

Kaplanoglu, department head and professor of engineering management and technology, did what he often does when a health-related request reaches campus.<\/p>\n

He said yes.<\/p>\n

Then he handed the project to mechatronics major Austin McDade.<\/p>\n

McDade, a rising junior from Ringgold, Georgia, serves as president of UTC\u2019s Mechatronics Club and lab manager for the Biomechatronic and Assistive Technology Lab. He also has experience in biomechatronics research and 3D printing, both on campus and at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in here one day and Dr. K said that we\u2019ve got a walker project,\u201d McDade said, \u201cand he told me this one\u2019s going to be a 3D-printable wheelchair.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDade joined Kaplanoglu\u2019s lab during his freshman year and has since worked on hand-related projects, battle bots and a radio-controlled car of his own design.<\/p>\n

This was the second time he had worked on a mobility device to help a child.<\/p>\n

The first involved a young boy named Jack and centered on a walker rather than a chair. McDade said that earlier experience helped show him how much a mobility device can affect a child\u2019s daily life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful thing to help someone because it can make such an impact, especially early on in life,\u201d McDade said during an interview while the chair was still being printed. \u201cFor a 2-year-old to be able to move around and perhaps to see something on the other side of the room and to be able to get herself to the other side of the room to see that object or to look at it, that\u2019s going to be really helpful for a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kaplanoglu said that kind of work is exactly what he wants students doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they start working here, I call them the research team and team members,\u201d Kaplanoglu said. \u201cThere\u2019s no, \u2018He\u2019s a professor, he\u2019s a student.\u2019 No. We are the whole research team.\u201d<\/p>\n

That approach shaped this project from the beginning. Kaplanoglu let McDade lead the work and communicate directly with the family.<\/p>\n

He said that is typical of how his lab operates, especially when the request involves healthcare.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually say yes and then find a way to solve it,\u201d Kaplanoglu said. \u201cIf we say yes, we have to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Kumar Yelamarthi, dean of UTC\u2019s College of Engineering and Computer Science, said the project reflects the kind of work the college wants students to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt UTC CECS, we ask our students to use their talents not only to innovate, but to serve,\u201d Yelamarthi said. \u201cAmelia\u2019s mobility chair is an example of what happens when technical expertise meets community need. I am proud of our students and faculty and grateful to our community for trusting us with challenges that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A

2-year-old Amelia Aiken and UTC mechatronics major Austin McDade.<\/p><\/div>\n

From there, McDade got to work, and the chair was built with Amelia in mind from the beginning.<\/p>\n

For anyone outside the world of 3D printing, that process is far more involved than it sounds.<\/p>\n

McDade ordered filament, downloaded the design files and began the long process of turning a digital model into a physical chair sized for a toddler.<\/p>\n

The files were downloaded from the open-source website MakerWorld<\/strong><\/a> and were originally designed through the Toddler Mobility Trainer project at 3D-Mobility<\/strong><\/a>. UTC did not design the files but used them to print and assemble Amelia\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n

The chair is designed for indoor use under adult supervision.<\/p>\n

McDade said the work starts with STL files, a type of design file that has to be prepared in slicing software before a printer can use it. The software lets the user set how each part will be printed, including wall thickness and infill density, which affects both strength and material use.<\/p>\n

Then the printing starts, piece by piece.<\/p>\n

McDade said he chose ABS plastic, the same material used in Lego bricks, because it offers more strength and better heat resistance than PLA, another common 3D-printing material.<\/p>\n

Aiken asked for a pink color scheme, so the device was produced in different shades of pink, with white wheels and pink thermoplastic polyurethane used to give the wheels grip.<\/p>\n

Since Amelia\u2019s chair includes larger structural parts, many of the print jobs took a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnywhere from eight to 18 hours,\u201d McDade said.<\/p>\n

Some smaller parts could be printed together on the same printer bed. Larger parts had to be done one at a time. After printing, the pieces were assembled using a combination of interlocking connections, glue and plastic welding.<\/p>\n

Safety drove the process, and Kaplanoglu explained that designing assistive devices for children requires a different level of care than designing for adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a big challenge because of disabilities and also because of the age,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to be careful about size, weight, how heavy or light it should be, and also noise because we don\u2019t want to put in something very noisy and then distract or affect the kids. And also, while you\u2019re working with kids, you have to double your safety requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDade said the design relies on carefully engineered parts that fit together in dovetailed channels. In some places, the fit is tight enough that little reinforcement is needed. In others, glue or plastic welding adds extra support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of different ways you can go about bonding these together and making sure it won\u2019t fall apart,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"A

Amelia is placed in the mobility chair for the first time. From left: Kenton Aiken, private duty nurse Maren Martin (standing), Kyndal Aiken, Austin McDade.<\/p><\/div>\n

The family\u2014Kyndal, her husband, Kenton, and Amelia\u2019s younger brother, Barrett\u2014visited UTC to pick up the mobility device on the way to physical therapy.<\/p>\n

For Aiken, watching Amelia use the chair for the first time brought immediate relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows that it\u2019s a good design. It\u2019s very intuitive,\u201d she said. \u201cShe can go right to the wheels and start pushing and propelling herself without anyone teaching her how to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That matters because Amelia is going to need a wheelchair throughout her life, Aiken said, and this is her first.<\/p>\n

The new chair, she said, \u201cis giving her access to her peers\u2019 level. Instead of being in a stroller or in a wagon, she\u2019s actually on her peers\u2019 level. And so she\u2019s going to be able to go around school in it. She\u2019s going to be able to pull up to a desk in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amelia turns 3 in November and is preparing for preschool. Her mother said the chair should help her begin getting used to moving through those spaces more independently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndependence and autonomy, absolutely,\u201d Aiken said. \u201cIt\u2019s great that she gets to start practicing at this age because she is going to need to wheel herself over the course of her life as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aiken said the family is already thinking about how to use the chair in everyday routines, at home, at the store and eventually at school.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to start using a desk she can roll up to at home,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to start practicing color. Well, she already knows a lot of her colors, the color matching, number counting, those preschool skills. So this is going to help her feel acclimated before she has to jump into school.\u201d<\/p>\n

For McDade, seeing Amelia take to the chair made the work feel real.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work that went into this, obviously. Most of it was done by the 3D printers, but there were a lot of technical things to sort through; once we got it all, it was just really great to see her smile and roll across the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow she can move on into her life to the next stage, and that\u2019s really wonderful to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A

Amelia Aiken begins steering the tires as she moves in the College of Engineering and Computer Science hallway.<\/p><\/div>\n

Aiken said the experience of working with Kaplanoglu and McDade was positive from start to finish.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been very open. They\u2019ve been collaborative,\u201d she said. \u201cThey let us choose the colors that we wanted and updated us along the way. They kept us in the loop of how things were going. We couldn\u2019t be happier working with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said Amelia has always brought joy to people around her and is beginning to show more and more of her personality.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe deserves the world,\u201d Aiken said. \u201cAnd she teaches us to slow down and appreciate life and to be grateful for little things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, with Amelia\u2019s first mobility chair ready to become part of daily life, Aiken is already thinking about what comes next, not just for her daughter but for other families.<\/p>\n

After first looking into how to get Amelia a chair, Aiken began exploring 3D printing herself. She said she is now working toward becoming a maker in the Chattanooga area so she can help print similar chairs for other children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe make toys for her now. A lot of Montessori stuff, stacking rings, roller ball towers,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we got this idea for Amelia, I started looking at access to a printer. I was thinking if we had a printer, then we could print it forward for other kids that need a chair like this in Chattanooga. I\u2019m not there yet, but I\u2019m practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

College of Engineering and Computer Science<\/a><\/p>\n

Biomechatronics and Assistive Technology Lab<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo gallery by Angela Foster<\/h4>\n
\"A

Clockwise from top left: Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu, Kyndal Aiken, private duty nurse Maren Martin, mechatronics major Autumn Reagan, mechatronics major Austin McDade, Amelia Aiken, Barrett Aiken and Kenton Aiken.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Thursday, July 16, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Thursday, July 16, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Thursday, July 16, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Friday, June 12, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Friday, June 12, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Thursday, July 16, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Friday, June 12, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Friday, June 12, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
Austin McDade works, Thursday, July 16, 2026 on a 3D printed wheelchair for a young girl. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In early April, Kyndal Aiken sent an email to the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science asking whether anyone might be willing to help. Her 2-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, needed a mobility device that could help her move more independently. In the email, she asked whether UTC students might be willing to take on the project. Mechatronics major Austin McDade came to the family\u2019s rescue.<\/p>\n

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