Transportable water access device
Development of a transportable device to facilitate access to water for people with reduced mobility
Type of project: Feasibility study
Disability concerned: Motor disability
Topic: Leisure
Status: Completed
The aim of the project is to design a device to facilitate access to the water for people with reduced mobility (PRM) and to provide supervisors with a system to reduce their efforts.
During nautical activities (kayak, sit up paddle, floating gear) in a “natural” environment, shores, lakes, oceanic or rivers, the transfer of PRM to their machine can be tedious and even more so after the activity, during disembarkation.
This complexity when launching results in a limitation or even an impossibility to accept PRM during nautical activities.
This reduces their access to activities and has an impact on their physical condition.
The aim of the project was to design a device to facilitate access to the water and to provide supervisors with a system to reduce their efforts. A multidisciplinary team comprising engineers, students, therapists, nautical experts and PRMs worked on the design of this device.
During the design phase, the system specifications were first defined including the system constraints and the main functionalities. Subsequently, the team prepared and conducted measurements and field experiments. The measurements and findings were then used to design the device. Several design iterations were carried out and the final concept was evaluated by experts for accessibility and therapeutic purposes.
Contact
HackaHealth
François Kade
kade.francois@gmail.com