Folio Sample:
BIOLOGICALLY-INSPIRED SKI DESIGN
Date: 2002
Master's Degree Project
Challenge: To design a ski for Nordic backcountry travel that embodies as many biological design principles as possible.
Solution: A ski design evolved that uses surface
tension as a means of supporting a human traveler across the low-density snowpack prevalent in the boreal forest environments.
The design exploits the snow crystal’s ability to sinter when gently encouraged by a large number of independent,
flexible ‘quills’ that automatically deploy through rearward/
downward motion of the skier. The sets of quills, or ‘quillsets,’ are field replaceable by the a highly abundant materials found in the majority of boreal forest tree branches.
In testing, the ski was able to support a 190lb skier in a manner that far exceeded expectations from the general formula (force=mass/area) f=m/a.
Responsibilities: Research, Prototyping, Testing, Documentation,
Presentation
Honourable Mention, Student Design Review, ID Magazine, Sept/Oct. 2003
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