Propeller based human powered swimming device

Currently the only human powered swimming device widely sold on the market are swim flippers. However, flippers are not efficient for the human body, and there is a potential to increase the speed while swimming with a device. This thesis is the planning, design, construction, and prototyping of a new human powered swimming device which increases human efficiency and speed in water. This device uses a squatting motion to drive counter rotating propellers up and down a threaded shaft creating the propulsion force to move the swimmer forward. The design of this device is primarily geared towards scuba divers and swimmers moving beneath the water surface. Through various tests we were able to prove that the design concept is valid, but alterations are still necessary to reach optimal speed. One such improvement would be enlarging the size of the propeller to increase the force generated with each leg thrust.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Bunker, Kristine (Kristine Alina)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Douglas P. Hart.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92601

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/92601