Mar 7, 2024 3 min read

Makapo Aquatics Project

(Mar. 2023 – Present)

Introducing our unique solution, crafted specifically for visually impaired adventurers, enabling them to independently navigate and paddle canoes across the sea.

Makapo Sport Team at Newport Aquatic Center & Our Cooperative Outrigger Paddling (CoOP)System

Development Process

From brainstorming to prototyping, we gave it much thoughts to our approach. Visually impaired paddlers have traditionally relied on multi-person canoes or the assistance of a coach to paddle alongside or ride behind them to provide directional guidance during training. But what is the best way for visually impaired people to paddle canoes safely?

The team decided to design a system that allows canoes to be remotely controlled. Utilizing a transmitter and receiver setup similar to those employed in remote-control cars, our device enables visually impaired paddlers to paddle independently while a coach, paddling behind them, can remotely control the direction.

Control Circuits

Schematic of the remote control system, showing the coach's unit with a transmitter and joystick (left), and the paddler's unit with a receiver, servo motor, and indicators (right)

PCB design for both the receiver and transmitter using the nRF24L01 radio module

Utilizing Teensy microcontrollers and nRF24L01 radio modules, we engineered the control circuits for both the transmitter and receiver. My responsibilities spanned from prototype development and testing to PCB design and assembly. For PCB design and system testing, we employed KiCad, while the PlatformIO IDE v3.3.1 integrated with VSCode was used for programming the radio communication protocol.

Transmitter Prototype (left) and Receiver Prototype (right) with the servo motor housed in the orange enclosure on the right

3D CAD Design

Evolution of Transmitter Enclosures from version 1.0 to 4.0, showcasing design enhancements and internal configurations

Another of my responsibilities was designing the transmitter enclosures. Over the course of five months, I taught myself SolidWorks and developed versions 1.0 through 4.0, implementing various improvements with each iteration. The current enclosure features a cap and a body connected by screws, capable of housing a joystick, a 7.4V battery, and a control board. Additionally, it allows users to charge the transmitter without removing the control board.

Design Showcase

Makapo featured in a magazine (top left); CoOp System attached to a canoe (right); Visually impaired paddler during a race (bottom)

Special Thanks

Dr. Mark Baldwin – – Founder of the Makapo Project – – baldwinm@uci.edu
Antonia Ann Piercey – – Student Researcher – – apiercey@uci.edu
Elissa Yang – – Student Researcher – – elissy1@uci.edu
Alyssa Lu – – Student Researcher – – zhaoyal5@uci.edu