Industry Sponsored Senior Design Projects
Push Up Plank Challenge
QL+ BWXT
Dawn Halfaker is a West Point graduate and retired Army captain. In 2004 while on patrol in Iraq, a rocket
propelled grenade went through her vehicle, resulting in her right arm and shoulder being amputated. As a
mother of two and a fitness enthusiast, Dawn and her trainer wanted to find a way for her to work her core — an
assistive device that would allow her to do planks and push-ups.
Team Members: Brittany Horton, Brian Smith, Niklas Krämer, Marco Perez-MacCollum,
Neddie Byron, Neil Gourley
Advisor: Robin Ott
The Challenge
Design and build a portable exercise device
to aid a wounded veteran in single-arm
push-ups and planks.
The Goals
Weight : 44 lbs
Cycles to failure : 40,000 cycles
Stroke height : 1 ft
We are very different
in the way we think and
approach problems, and
that lends itself well to
finding unique solutions.
Niklas Krämer
Assistive force range : 0-110 lbs
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