Step up: New solution to end struggle with lofted beds

A new device created at Purdue University is designed to make it safer and easier to use lofted beds. (Stock photo) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – College life requires sacrifices. In the name of space, many residence hall rooms across the country use lofted beds. Those setups can pose challenges for students in climbing up and down from the top bed, especially when a desk is placed nearby to help maximize room space.

Now, a group of students from Purdue University has created a solution: a simple step design that easily attaches to typical campus loft beds. The team of mechanical engineering students from Purdue’s College of Engineering call their device the “Stow Step.”

“We came up with this idea during a sophomore design class,” said Elvin Garayev, a junior in mechanical engineering at Purdue. “Our assignment was to go through the engineering design process to create a solution for an everyday problem. This is one of the ways Purdue engineering classes set us up for future success – by challenging us to take a real-world approach to using concepts and theories to tackle challenges.”

A Purdue University team created a lofted bed stow step to provide a safe solution for getting into and down from lofted beds. (Image provided) Download image

Stow Step includes a step piece and a base piece that attaches to the bed rail. Garayev said it can be assembled quickly by attaching the base and step pieces to the loft bed structure and it can be folded up out of the way when not in use.

“We applied many mechanical engineering and design concepts to create what we believe is a viable, effective and affordable solution,” Garayev said.

The other members of the Stow Step team are Andrew Bowman, Dalton Garrett and William Yount, all juniors in mechanical engineering at Purdue.

The technology is being patented through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. The creators are looking for partners to test and commercialize their technology. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org.

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization           

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Visit the Office of Technology Commercialization for more information. 

Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org
Source: Elvin Garayev, egarayev@purdue.edu