Off-Road EMS
I have a passion for vehicle design, so when it came to choosing my capstone project I didn’t want to just design the next sports car, I wanted to design a multi-purpose vehicle that would have a meaningful impact.
The direction for this project was influenced by my family’s military background and an interest in developing a versatile vehicle for EMS in hard-to-reach areas.
Client
Personal Project
Services
Design Research
Concept Ideation
CAD Modeling
Model Building
While researching EMS vehicles, I discovered some common frustrations:
∙ Too large
∙ Not expandable
∙ Limited patient carrying capacity
At the outset I focused on delivery of medical resources and personnel in austere conditions. The goal was to create a chain of delivery in order to set up a sustainable medical station. On-the-spot medical treatment for patients stabilizes them so they can travel to a treatment facility. In order to accomplish this goal, the following qualities were needed in a vehicle:
∙ Small
∙ Versatile
∙ Modular
Research
Inspiration
Current military solutions align with many of the project goals, but due to heavy
armor they are inherently bulky and cumbersome. This limits their use in urban mass casualty situations as well as wilderness rescue.
To fill this need in EMS, I wanted to design an all-terrain vehicle platform that could be used in a variety of situations, including:
Combat
Civilian Mass Casualty
Wilderness Rescue
Field Research
During the research process Jacob was able to meet with two paramedics and got a tour of their ambulance. This led him to three key factors to implement into the final design:
Lighting
Accessibility
Standardized Configuration
Their standardized method for identifying equipment used a color-coded system:
The Honda 2020 Pioneer 1000 was a great option for retrofitting a frame designed to mount all the necessary medical equipment to its chassis.
Basic dimensions were made to create a 1:5 scale model. This helped visualize the modular design.
Platform Retrofit
Versatility
Potential military options with covers and winch system.
Modularity
1:5 scale model made to demonstrate modules and their placement.
Specialized containers run along a rail system to make unloading and setting up triage points much easier. Removing containers can also allow two stretchers to be mounted to the vehicle.
Key Features
Color-coded storage handles for easy identification and access
Modular rail system
Storage units act as secondary seating while transporting patient
Oxygen access