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AF Academy cadets demonstrate prototypes built of toys

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Maria Boman
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Since August, a group of seven senior cadets from the Air Force Academy have been designing patient loading prototypes to improve the current systems medical personnel use to transport patients into aircraft, and three of them traveled to Scott to meet with the customers to gain feedback.

The cadets met with members of the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and representatives from Air Mobility Command during a Patient Loading System, or PLS, capstone workshop Jan. 15.

Maj. Samantha Treadwell, AMC's Aeromedical Evacuation Medical Modernization officer in charge, explained, "The current patient loading system needs to be replaced with safer equipment for medical personnel and patients. Currently, parts have to be taken off of one PLS to fix another because the parts can no longer be ordered.

The cadets gave a verbal presentation on their prototypes design construction, analysis and testing. Then, using prototypes made of wood, metal and legos, they presented their potential PLS replacement design concepts, including different lifts and means of elevating patients onto an aircraft. The medical personnel tested the prototypes and provided feedback on advantages and disadvantages.

Maj. Cody Rasmussen, the Academy's engineering mechanics department advisor, said, "One of the major issues with numerous design projects is that engineers may design something the customer does not want, so our goal was to avoid that at all costs."

Cadet 1st Class Hayden Richards, said, "Without inputs from the AE members, we have no guidance for what needs to be improved, especially since we have limited experience ourselves. We hope to mesh our ideas together."

Treadwell explained that the 375th AES is the pilot unit for all Air Force aeromedical evacuation issues, so it was critical that the medical personnel were involved in the process. And with more than 2,000 hours of combined experience, the 375th AES participants moved theory into a practical system.

"Providing safe patient transport is vital," she said. "An improved PLS will aid in that effort, and perhaps one day one of their inventions will be what we use."
With the information gathered, the customers will now select and have the cadets build two final prototypes. This is so that when the Air Force is ready to proceed, the future system design process will go faster.

The cadets will give their final presentation in May to the Air Mobility Command and to leaders in the Air Force Medical Support Agency.

The students involved in this project are Cadets 1st Class Matt Heien, Tyler Ogren, Brad Phelan, Fred Rath, Jared Rillings, Jenna Whetsel, and Richards.