Motion Assistive Seating Device for Sailing

1. Senior Design Project 12031 Motion Assistive Seating Device for Sailing Project Overview Team Members: Faculty Guide: Technical Guide: Customers: Aleef Mahmud Mitch Rankie Steven Gajewski Christopher Sullivan Edward Hanzlik Kate Leipold Richard Ramos Keith Burhans The goal of this project is to re-design, build, and test a portable, detachable seating system that will allow disabled users to participate in competitive sailing. The system must utilize the user’s rotational arm motion to steer the boat’s rudder and allow adjustment of the user’s position by rotating along a bearing mounted track for leverage and view during sailing scenarios. Customer Needs Functional Decomposition • Safe operational use for at least 4 years • System controls boat rudder and shifts weight • Designed to fit specifically in Sonar Keelboat • Portable & non-permanent installation into boat • 25% weight reduction of system • Increased functionality of the system • Reduction of lines tangling during operation • Improved comfort and custom fit for user Mechanical Engineering System Overview • Passenger Interface - Holds the passenger safely and securely, travels along the bearing mounted track to provide weight transfer to each side of the boat, and includes hand crank attached to lines that control the tiller arm • Track Platform - Secures the track which the passenger interface travels along • Pedestal base – Secures the point upon which the passenger interface pivots around its arch of travel • Tiller Strut – Guides lines to control the tiller arm • Tiller arm – Attached to the boat’s rudder which controls the steering Final Achievements New Features • Utilize user’s rotational arm motion to control the boat’s rudder • Complete motion around arched track while safely securing user • Fits into Sonar keelboat without modifications to the boat • Custom fit for user through use of adjustment points • Weight of system reduced by 18 lb or the equivalent of 17% • 20 lb user force input amplified to 128 lb by the system • Entry time reduced to 11 min from original 30 min • Detachment time reduced to 25 seconds from original 5 min • Reduction of lines tangling during operations • Wider angle of view for user when rotating around track • Restraints – Wheelchair butterfly harness and impact racing seat for improved restraint, increased comfort , and greater safety in case of collisions • Seat Tilt – Permanent tilt of 10 degrees designed into the seat frame • Quick release hand grips – Improved attachment location and faster attachment/detachment time • Crank System – Fully adjustable crank system that also rotates out of the way for entry and exit • Hand Hold Brackets – Secure track platform and allow rerouting of tangle prone lines Passenger Interface Track Platform Brace into boat hand holds Mount Passenger Interface on to Track Passenger Interface Attach Seat to Plate Pedestal Base Tiller Strut Rest on top of Benches Track Platform Mount to Track Platform Passenger Interface Insert Pedestal Base Pedestal Base Tiller Strut Mount Passenger Interface Tiller Strut Pedestal Base Attach next to back of Boat and route lines Rest on top of Deck Recommendations Acknowledgments • Continue to safely reduce weight • Powder coat for greater corrosion resistance • Improve adjustability of system for use by a variety of users and boats • Implement DFA methodology • Begin implementation of electronic parts • Richard Ramos for serving as the customer representative • Keith Burhans for lending the team a Sonar Keelboat • Professor Hanzlik and Professor Leipold for serving as project guides to assist the team • Robert Kraynik for consulting during manufacturing phase • Project is funded by the RIT Senior Design Center andNational Science Foundation Award No. BES-052735