Senior Design Expo 2019

The Ark
By AütoFlöt
Kirsten McNeill, Andrew Moshova , Liam
Dwyer, Patrick Naughton, Mark Hellinger
During Hurricane Harvey alone, it is
estimated that a s many a s one million cars
in the Houston metro area were destroyed.
Floodwaters can corrode a car’s metal
components; cause exhaust system failure;
engine seizure and overheating; transmission
failure; short-circuiting of wires; computer
malfunctions; inoperative lights and
dashboard; warped/rusted brakes and rotors;
ABS malfunctions; airbag/restraint system
failures; interior contamination; moldy
seats/fabric; and bacteria in the car’s
ventilation system.
costing around $610 for a scale model, The
Ark’s design is transportable, easily
deployable, and reasonably priced for a n
early prototype. The Ark’s design consists of
very few carefully designed, yet simple,
components, and is modular to allow future
design flexibility for multiple vehicle types.
The Ark seeks to address the gap in technical
solutions to vehicular flood protection and is
currently the only known device that is
designed to effectively and affordably protect
a car from floodwaters. This project aims to
manufacture a device that is durable; easily
stored and transported; quickly and easily
deployed; and provides stability and flotation
for multiple days. The Ark consists of four
modular, inflatable sections which attach to
each wheel of a vehicle via metal chocks and
straps. In its intended use case, a user attaches
wheel chocks to each tire, clips inflatable
pontoons to each set of chocks, connects the
inflation device to the car’s battery, and then
inflates the device. The car would then be
tethered to a suitable structure with
attachment points a t each chock prior to
flooding. Weighing around 120 pounds for
all components, with each component
weighing no more than 20 pounds, and
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