Sidewinder Gen II
Problem statement
Picture yourself stationed in the middle of the Antarctic wilderness with nothing but your wits and your supplies. You had been on the waitlist to do this research for years, and it’s finally your time. The only issue is the drill you need to use to collect ice samples is lashing a rope out at you dozens of times a second, tearing open your jacket and letting in the frigid Antarctic air. While the U.S. Ice Drilling Program does hold its equipment to a high standard due in these harsh, remote conditions, the Sidewinder Gen 1 has been known to pose safety risks in the past [1]. On top of that, the drill system is too heavy and tall to be easily operated by one scientist and often a two-person crew is necessary to speed up cycle times [1, 2]. The goal of the Sidewinder Gen 2 is to eliminate safety risks posed by the Gen 1, reduce the transport weight, and compact the size so it can be more safely operated by an average height person. Ultimately, we will end up with a product that accomplishes all of these goals and can be replicated to provide a Sidewinder to multiple crews of scientists.
Team members
Jacob Honl – leader
Sam Porter – communicator
Ryan Wegener – accountant
Nick Carran – admin
Client
Jay A Johnson, Mechanical Engineer