Department - Author 1

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Date

6-2015

Primary Advisor

Peter Schuster

Abstract/Summary

The current availability of water skis for people who are paraplegic or quadriplegic is very limited. The aim of our project is to design a system that improves upon the current models of specialized water skis. Our intent is to create a waterski system that is structurally stable and handles responsively, in order to ensure that anyone is capable of effectively using our system to waterski.

The main client of our project is Quality of Life Plus, an organization that aims to aid veterans of the armed forces who have physical disabilities to still enjoy a good quality of life. Their work is very broad, ranging from prostheses to active equipment. Our customer, Dr. Craig Bash, is a partial quadriplegic and veteran of the Air Force who leads a very active lifestyle and greatly enjoys waterskiing. However, his current waterski system does not effectively meet his needs, hence the creation of our team to design and build an improved waterski.

Our design will be based specifically around Dr. Bash’s requirements, as well as our own design recommendations from research and testing. Our specific aims are to create a waterski system that has great improvements in overall weight, responsiveness, drag, comfort, and ease of disassembly. By improving in these specific design areas, we will ensure that Dr. Bash will have a more rewarding waterskiing experience.

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