MAX1

The idea grew directly from our team’s experience as lifeguards. Having practiced and performed team-based emergency response, we understood how rare it is to find enough trained professionals to provide care in a public setting. That experience helped shape both the original concept and many of the design decisions throughout the project.

The device uses an Arduino-controlled motor and mechanical linkage to produce repeated chest compressions, while two stepper motors automate a bag-valve-mask ventilation system. The project involved mechanical design, electronics, 3D-printed components, motor control, prototyping, and testing.

Throughout development, we built and revised multiple designs to improve frame strength, compression stability, and overall system integration. MAX1 was completed as a capstone project and culminated in a presentation before a panel of engineers, where it received a positive evaluation.

This project gave me hands-on experience with the engineering design process and with combining mechanical and electrical systems into a functional prototype.