Zipline Braking System

Challenge

Skyline Eco-Adventures came to our team looking for a better braking system at the end of their ziplines.

Solution

We designed a braking system that uses fluid drag to smoothly slow down the rider, automatically increasing force for larger, faster riders. We tested our prototype on site, and received positive feedback from guides and riders.

The novel design is now patented as US8960098.

Role

I designed the fluid braking, modeled the motion of the riders in MATLAB, and constructed many parts of the prototype.