American Ninja Warrior Obstacle
Summary
In this project, a team of 6 and I designed a rules-compliant American Ninja Warrior obstacle. We conducted stress analysis on various components of the structure, including the handlebars of the monkey bars and the supporting cables, to ensure that the obstacle would be safe to use in the competition.
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Skills Learned/Used
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SOLIDWORKS CAD
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Stress Analysis
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PTC Mathcad
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From 2D to 3D
Our idea consisted of two inclined monkey bars that featured twistable handlebars mounted on ball bearings. Athletes would jump onto the obstacle from one end, then make their way to the other, as demonstrated by the dummies in the picture to the right.
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To get a better understanding of our design, I drew up our initial sketch in SOLIDWORKS. This helped the team visualize the obstacle in three dimensions. Also, we were able to explore various materials through the SOLIDWORKS material library. We decided to use galvanized steel for our obstacle since it is a material commonly used in recreational monkey bars.
The Submissions
In submission 1, I helped analyze the torsional stress in the handlebars if an athlete were to grab a handlebar in the switch grip position.
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In submission 2, I analyzed the bending and deflection of the handlebars if an athlete is hanging from them. Here, I utilized PTC Mathcad to help solve a system of equations with six unknowns.
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Finally, in submission 3, I helped analyze the stresses at each critical cross-section along the handlebars.
Please feel free to explore the three submissions. We also made a poster to advertise the features of our obstacle.
Creating an Idea
As part of a Stress Analysis course I took during the first semester of my sophomore year, a team of five others and I were tasked with designing an obstacle for the TV show American Ninja Warrior (ANW). We then needed to conduct an analysis of the various loads on critical components of the obstacle to ensure it will be safe to use by ANW athletes.
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To begin, I researched existing obstacles so our team could define initial parameters, such as overall dimensions, and generate some ideas. From this initial research, we came drew up the idea as seen in the image to the left.
Doing the Math
Over the course of three submissions, my team and I set about performing the necessary calculations to thoroughly analyze the stress in the critical components of the obstacle.
