Scott Waitt Yangchengzhi Zhou

Hi, I’m Scott, a graduating Product Design Engineering student with a strong passion for designing innovative sports equipment. Throughout my degree, have had the ability to explore my creativity and develop the necessary engineering skills that enable me to transform my ideas into a reality. For the past six months, have dedicated myself to my final year design project, which focuses on enhancing the boxing training experience. The prospect of incorporating new technology into a sport with such a strong and storied legacy presented an exciting challenge. Using the full range of skills I have acquired throughout the course, have created the Box-bot, a revolutionary training tool that transforms the capabilities of a standard boxing bag.

My aim was to design a training aid that would engage and challenge boxers beyond the limitations of a static bag, creating a more dynamic and effective training. The Box-bot is designed to cater to both commercial boxing gyms and individual boxers training at home. By using a cartesian coordinate configuration, it can move anywhere within a one-meter squared area, with two stepper motors controlling the movement along the X and Y axes. Its versatility in movement and ability to simulate realistic and unpredictable sessions, with unlimited combinations makes it a perfect tool for a more fulfilling workout.

I am a student studying product design. At the beginning of the year, I began to focus on designing products for the elderly. This customer group requires designers to be more patient and attentive to their needs. After doing primary research, I found that developing products that assist with standing and sitting could greatly benefit the elderly, who often need more physical support due to fragile legs and waists. Unfortunately, many products currently available on the market have the following disadvantages: high price, complex structure, and heavy weight. With this in mind, I decided to focus my efforts on developing a riser recliner with a simplified design.

I carried out standing test, seat angle test, and mechanical system measurement in stages and observed the rotating motion trajectories of the bascule bridge. There are several rotational mechanical systems, but I was particularly interested in gear and pulley-based systems. Taking into account factors such as cost, mechanical properties, and structural complexity, ultimately opted for a gear system to provide power support for the seat’s rotational motion. Additionally, a speed ratio between the large and small gears helps to reduce the torque during the seat’s movement. For the material, decided to use bamboo, which not only makes the product lighter and more environmentally friendly, but also significantly reduces costs.