Yukti Arora

Industrial Design, 2015

A mobility device for dogs with paralyzed hind legs

Inspiration for Sidekick came from my personal experience of losing my dog to IVDD. InterVertebral Disk Disease is a condition where the cushioning disks between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst (herniate) into spinal cord space, resulting in paralyses of the hind body of the dog. Forty percent of the dachshund breed suffer from this condition once in their lifetime due to a genetically long spine.Its a critical condition that needs urgent response, which is unavailable. This often leads to loss of life.

A wheelchair is required from the day this problem is diagnosed. However, the current solution is a highly ignored design. Sidekick was designed through research and an in-depth understanding of the user and its family. The key solution includes a mobility device that is compact and allows sitting, giving the dog his freedom. Sidekick also has an app which allows the families to customize the sizing and print most of the parts at the nearest MakerBot location, making the process fast and cheap. The Sidekick App also serves as a community for the families who are going through the same problem.

Yukti Arora builds simple, effective and exciting experiences through design. She holds design and art very close to her heart and wants to use her creativity in the service of others. Outside of design, she likes to painting, climbing mountains, house plants, dogs of all size, and watching Miyazaki films.