UA Student Walks at Graduation With Help From 2017 BME Senior Project

Thanks to a UA College of Engineering senior design team, his mother's advocacy and – most of all – his own hard work and determination, Jeffrey Bristol took a few careful steps across the stage to receive his diploma from the Eller College of Management on May 11, after 20 years in a wheelchair.

Jeffrey's mother, Hermelinda Bristol, approached the UA Engineering Design Program in 2016 about building a device to help Jeffrey walk. She selected six engineering students with the right blend of heart and technical know-how – including BME majors Martin Galaz, Jason Keatseangsilp, Amanda Koiki, Joshua Owl and Thomas Valenzuela – for the project.

The team created a 20-pound “lightning legs” exoskeleton to support Jeffrey’s feet, legs and waist. Within two weeks of beginning to use the exoskeleton in spring 2017, Jeffrey could stand on his own and maintain his balance. He demonstrated the rig to a crowd at Engineering Design Day 2017, and the design team won an engineering ethics award.

In the two years since, Jeffrey has removed elements of the exoskeleton as his strength grew and his brain rebuilt connections with his muscles. These days Jeffrey wears only the foot pieces, and his steps grow a little longer and more confident each day.

“It’s been amazing to watch how fast the pieces have come off and how clearly things in his brain have started to change,” Hermelinda said.