Design and prototyping of a modular human-powered swing carousel

Abstract

The annual East Campus dormitory carnival at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology creates a unique learning experience by allowing undergraduate students to design and fabricate carnival rides for human riders. This thesis documents the design and fabrication process for a modular four-person swing carousel that was subsequently constructed in the East Campus courtyard. The ride was designed over the course of three months, focusing on administrative and technical constraints such as size restrictions, modularity, ease of assembly, and compliance with safety protocols. The final product operated smoothly for the entire duration of the carnival event (4 hours of continuous operation). The ride remained operational for a further two weeks of intermittent operation before its scheduled disassembly and removal. In total, over 250 riders used the swing carousel. From measurements made during ride operation, these riders experienced up to 0.68 g's of force in a radial direction and traveled at linear speeds of up to 15mph. A post-project safety review was also performed, and potential mitigation strategies for are described.