Project Overview

There is a division of wheelchair tennis specifically for Quadriplegic athletes and those with disabilities affecting at least three limbs. Athletes in this Quad division often deal with one or more of the problems listed below:

1.Inability to toss the ball for a serve.

Some players must have someone toss the ball for them which creates significant timing problems.
Some players must toss the ball with the same arm that holds the racquet which results in inconsistent tosses.

2.Inability to grip the tennis racquet.

Some players must hold the racquet and use athletic tape to tape their hand to the racquet. This results in a fixed grip and can require re-taping if the hand sweats or slides out of position.

3. Inability to lift or move the arm sufficiently for backhand or higher shots.

Although players may have the ability to create horizontal arm movements, often players have deficiencies in up and down motions required to reach more balls.
This project will address the above problems and create a suite of assistive devices to improve the ability of a quad tennis player to play wheelchair tennis.

Examples of possible solutions might include:

1. A mechanical device to consistently launch a tennis ball for a serve.
2. An attachment for a tennis racquet that assists with grip support but does not restrict hand movement on the racquet.
3. A mobile arm support that allows for the arm to be supported specifically during tennis racquet motions.

Team Picture

Files

• Preliminary Report (October 19, 2016)
• Final Poster (December 9, 2016)
• PDS (September 22, 2016)
• Wheelchair Adaptive Devices for Quad Tennis Final Report (December 14, 2016)
• Preliminary Presentation (October 14, 2016)

Contact Information

Team Members

• Zach Alden - Team Leader
• Alyssa Walker - Communicator
• Leslie Franczek - BSAC
• David Lahm - BWIG
• William Bacon - BPAG

Advisor and Client

• Dr. Ed Bersu - Advisor
• Mr. Dan Dorszynski - Client