Assistive Sculler

Logan Rinaldi and Logan McClennen

The Assistive Sculler is a mechanical device designed to help Dick, a rower who suffered a stroke, get back on the water by using bar linkages to translate the limited movement of one of his arms into the more complex elliptical motion needed to control the oar. Before suffering the stroke, Dick was an avid rower and sailor. Since the stroke, the only way he can get back out on the water to row is by relying on another person to help him steer and to guide him. He also has to rely on a mechanism that attaches him to the boat. He has struggled with getting his right arm to extend all the way and to produce strong strokes. What he misses most is the ability to row by himself. The Assistive Sculler has a handle on one side that Dick can pump lever back and forth in a straightforward linear motion, using his right arm. This allows for Dick to focus more on the power of his right arm, making it easier to row. Most importantly, once brought to full scale, this device would attach to one side of a single rowing shell and enable Dick to get back on the water by himself.