The Elimination of Limitation

By Veronica Pineda

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 was the annual Mechanical Engineering Department's Design Day at the University of Utah where the entire department displays some of the projects that the students have completed throughout the year.

The senior design class built various innovative machines that will be capable of improving society in a variety of ways.

A total of 23 groups designed projects applicable anywhere from the moon to a surgeon's table. I was particularly interested in projects aimed at increasing recreational opportunities for people who are physically disabled. Not only is there a large economic market for such inventions, but also there is a large humanitarian benefit to expanding the capabilities of those who would otherwise be limited in recreational activities.

The first of two projects that I was particularly interested in was the Site Project 2013. The goal was to design soccer equipment which would enable blind players to also enjoy the sport. The second project was the E-Tetra, a kayak that could be controlled by paraplegics.

The design team in charge of the SITE Project 2013, Adaptive Soccer, consisted of Nader Badizadegan, Brady Warner, Yanson Cheah, and Elton Jasaraj. The project involves a soccer ball and goal system, which will produce sound to aid visually impaired players in locating the ball and goal. This project was funded by a grant through the National Science Foundation.

“I wanted to make sure that if I am going to put a lot of time into a senior design project, that the end product would be able to help others,“ said Badizadegan.

The sounds emitted by the ball were based on on the classic theme song from Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers.

“In many cases these children who are visually impaired don't know anything about soccer, what the ball looks like, what the goal looks like, what the objective of the game is, etc. So we wanted to create a system that will help them learn about the game, and at the same time motivate them to be more physically active,” said Badizadegan

The Site Project 2013 has opened a bridge between the world of sound and the visually impaired to the world of sight, allowing the players to gain new experiences.

The E–Tetra kayak had a similar objective of expanding the opportunities for the physically disabled. The team consisted of Caleb Perkins, Michael Myers, Zak Evans, Orlando Cintron, Raleigh Cornwell, and Chris Cosman. Their goal was to expand the availability of recreational activities for paraplegics.

In this project, the design team reverses engineered signals from a wheelchair, which would feed into a motor to drive the kayak forward and a rudder to steer. The same signals that are used in classical wheelchairs were adapted in a way that allowed control of a kayak instead. The person controlling the kayak would use breathing patterns and head positions to steer the kayak.

The breath system works using a sip and puff system. When the user puffs their cheeks outward into the control tube, the breath drove the motor of the kayak forward; sipping on the control tube drove the kayak backward. The pressure difference between breaths controlled the speed of the kayak. The kayak had a maximum speed of 9.5 knots.

The team made sure that the kayak was adjustable at the head, torso and arms, so that people with a wide variety of body sizes could also make full use of the design, according to Cornwell.

“It was a lot of work but it makes it worth it when you see that the people who are actually going to use it, enjoy it,” said Cornwell.

The electronics, which facilitate the kayak’s functions possible for tetraplegics, is watertight.

“It’s not submersible, but it can withstand rain,” said Cornwell.

Overall the objectives of comfort, security, and functionality were met. The kayaks are designed to have a fully trained kayak rider assistant riding in front, so incase the kayak does submerge, the assistant can take control and correct any issues.

Many of the parts used could be found in stores and were not custom made. The kayak was also 20 feet long, spanned approximately the width of four people laying shoulder to shoulder, and housed a sail that extends 18 feet high - approximately the height of a two story building.