October 25, 2022 Engineering students create ramp prototype to make boating more accessible Written By: Caitlin Scott Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Students|Undergraduate Second year Mechanical Engineering student Megan Mulrooney and her UW-Madison Society of Women Engineers Boeing Tech Team teammates placed 3rd in the nation for their boating accessibility ramp design at the recent Society of Women Engineers National Conference in Houston, TX. The students designed their prototype in partnership with Fond du Lac-based Mercury Marine. It is a remote-controlled ramp to allow those with mobility limitations to more safely get on and off small boats such as pontoons. “It doesn’t just increase accessibility for someone in a wheelchair but also for service dogs or the elderly or for children,” said Mulrooney. Read the full story on Madison.com. The prototype is essentially a height-adjustable ramp that can be used to get into a boat, combined with a door that opens in both directions. Featured image: Engineering students Madeline Morrell, Sarah Neu, Megan Mulrooney, and Mary Laudon demonstrate the prototype they and other students created for a competition in Houston.