Knowledge Bank

While engaging in recreational boating, people can often be subjected to many uncomfortable situations. Whether struggling to help elderly people on and off the high, small, slippery sides of a runabout, or shifting around gear due to inadequate storage facilities, boat owners often experience a need for ergonomic improvement to their crafts. A major domestic manufacturer of sport boats has requested assistance to improve the ergonomics of their boats in an effort to differentiate its product. After researching methods of acquiring user feedback, a new digital method is proposed to acquire and analyze data. The range of sport boats currently available was analyzed to determine the required flexibility and applicability of the design tool. The proposed approach directly involves the user in a portable software based development tool. Attempts to create portions of this system are discussed as well as a proposed system currently under development.