kayak design for person with no arms or little use of arms

[umomet]

I am an engineering student at UMAINE. We have to build a kayak that can be used by a person with little use of or no arms. We have been throwing around some ideas and I would like some feedback from you.

Some of the ideas that we have been discussing are:
propeller drive and waterwheel drive
saftey concerns such as anti-rolling.

Any feedback would be great

Thanks

[asathor]

Make it with a drop out bottom, maybe with a plastic membrane for a seal, and some means of getting their weight below (above) the waterline so it can be turned under any and all circumstances. That way if all else fails it can function as a good life jacket that keeps the head up if they can't get out for some reasons. You won't find a shortage og people to go out in it but you have to provide them a means of getting back as well to say it is a "real" kayak.

As you can tell I am a low risk person, when the going gets rough I use both a life jascket and a lifeline.

Asathor

[foxxaero]

Have a look here ...

http://foxxaero.homestead.com/indun_001.html

hope that helps.