Interdisciplinary senior design project to develop a retrofit shock absorbing go-kart seat

Abstract

In recent years there has been a big push to get students into the STEM fields. However, what seems to be lacking in this academic push is the hands on side of it. Engineering simply just isn't about equations, but actually design and developing as well as fabricating a physical product. Something you can touch and in most cases see work. The Engineering Technology field fits into STEM academics and is very important. In order for companies to compete in the global marketplace, employers in the 21st century require their engineers couple the traditional engineering design skills with new skills in design and development, as well as the ability to function multi-disciplinary. With learning the importance of prototype development and manufacturing, the Senior Design team at Drexel University's Engineering Technology Department have decided to take on a challenge in the entertainment industry specifically driving a go-kart vehicle in a closed track. To do this they have addressed the most common issue with driving a go-kart, which is experiencing potential pressure ulcers as well as upper and lower back pain after driving in the kart. The project seeks to solve this problem by creating a retrofit kit using interlinked air pockets with a gel pad covering to evenly distribute the pressure on the driver's body and absorb the vibration of the seat that the driver normally experiences. The pressure the driver experiences during the ride is measured using a network of 8 sensors placed at the major points of contact between the driver's body, and the body of the seat. The vibration level experienced by the driver is measured using an accelerometer on the seat itself. The seat retrofit is made using polyurethane coated polyester for the main structure of the seat. The air pockets are made using flexible polyvinyl chloride fabric. The air pockets themselves have an interconnected design for optimal pressure redistribution. The target cost for each individual retrofit is $93 with a selling price for $600. The significance of the methodology to be applied in this capstone course project is to combine theory and practice to prepare the students to become better problem solvers and obtain practical solutions to real life/simulated problems using a project based approach. Senior Design capstone project has the following major goals. 1) Raise student awareness of contemporary issues as they relate to the Engineering Technology field. 2) Enhance student decision-making and problem solving skills in a multi-attribute and team setting. Students in the Mechanical, Electrical, and Industrial fields along with many others can learn many new skills from multi-disciplinary projects such as the design and development of a go-kart seat to minimize vibrations felt by drivers. Such projects show students how to use different types of technology, and demonstrate how advanced technology can be used in an innovative product improvement. Overall, many different fields of engineering can benefit from this application, enabling the development of skill and knowledge in many different engineering aspects and processes. This capstone design project stimulates the students' interest in real-world product realization. Expected student learning outcomes assessment in this capstone course was performed using written reports and oral presentations as well as an evaluation of each student's contribution to the project. Oral presentations were assessed at the end of the first and last quarter and written reports at the end of each quarter. Both written reports and oral presentations were assessed by all faculty members and a number of outside assessors from regional industries. The assessment of individual student contributions was performed by the project advisor and co-advisor. The students' performance was assessed using a set of performance indicators that are also used to assess the program's student a-k outcomes (ABET). Each indicator is assessed according to a Likert-type scale and the results weighted to emphasize technical qualities of the work and scaled to produce a score from 0 to 100 in order to determine the students' final grades.