Puff Boat Primer - Breathing the Tetra-Sail On Course ... and Other Applications
Tetra-Sail controlled by breath and joystick by University of Utah Rehabilitation Center
photo by Colter Peterson, Deseret News.
A few weeks ago, ASPNC program director Nate Hansen trekked out to the University of Utah’s Rehabilitation Center to bring back the latest technology. The Tetra-Sails allows people with a spinal cord injury or disease to steer, sail a sailboat adapted to their needs.
The Tetra-Sail, developed by Dr. Jeffrey Rosenbluth, medical director at the University of Utah’s Rehabilitation Center, and his team of engineers, uses a joystick and mouth-controlled navigation system.
“The Tetra-Sail is an adaptive sailing experience that uses a Shared-Control approach to accept input from both a main user and an experienced adaptive instructor (control partner). This approach was used to create a usable experience for individuals with all types of physical abilities, including participants with high level and complete spinal cord injuries characterized by loss of sensation and function below their site of injury, with minimal preliminary training”
In other words, a puff boat!
In honor of, and anticipation of the “feelings of empowerment, which they attributed to the flexible adaptation to their abilities supported by the implementation of Shared-Control,” the ATeam took on an exploration of breath - the Quadrant Breathing lesson.
Mary, Jakob and Natasha found the idea of breathing into the front, back, sides, top and bottom of the chest, focusing on first the top right, then lower right, across to lower left and finally to upper left of the chest amazing. Having just come off a rocky day on the Connecticut River with kayakers, Mary related how using the breath can help stay stable in choppy waters. Natasha was thinking about how to better focus her fishing cast. Jakob found the exercise grounding.
The real endorsement will be when a Tetra-Sailor weighs in. Looking forward to it.
Tetra Watercraft at East Canyon Reservoir in Utah.
source> teradapt.us
With the ATeam fully engaged with all the ASPNC summer activities, and their last day, July 31, 2021, drawing near, this may be the last lesson for this crew. Great to go out with a deep breath and a flexible chest, ready to puff a clear course ahead!