Project Sponsors
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Team Announcements October 25, 2006 |
also see: Main/PastDeliverables |
Recent Wiki Page Updates
| Steering Concepts | Nov. 2 |
| Cable | Oct. 25 |
Group Picture

Team Members (left to right)
Tom Tilley
Duane Ferkovich
Mark Swenson
Jason Croft
Jason Hatch
Problem Statement
The project team will develop and design a downhill mountain bike for use by athletes with a maximum of C6 level injury by April 25, 2007. The design will include innovatative controls for riders with limited hand grip and minimal trunk control as well as controls that only rely on bicep strength. Because of the nature of the target rider, assisted systems such as braking and propulsion will also be addressed.
Project Summary
Many mid to high-level amputees have the dexterity to compete in sporting events with the appropriately designed racing vehicle. Recently, there has been an increased interest in downhill off-road racing, which has created a need for an advanced wheelchair design. Though there are many factors that relate to the safety of a downhill wheelchair, the focus of this project will be to design a failsafe braking mechanism and to provide a safe, comfortable interface for any rider.
The purpose of the design team is to create a prototype of the downhill wheelchair that includes two specific design innovations. The first innovation is a new braking mechanism that can be operated by riders with limited manual dexterity. The second innovation is a comfortable rider interface that is safe from rollover.
This project will be broken up into three phases. The initial phase will include the development of design concepts that will provide solutions to the specified customer needs. The second phase is comprised of the design development and will produce prototype parts for the chassis, braking system and rider interface. The third phase will include design refinement which will result in a finished prototype of the complete system.
Project Proposal
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Executive Summary
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