LSU engineering students creating wheelchair to help Plaquemine women enjoy beach

A Plaquemine woman with a love of the beach has inspired a group of LSU engineer students to create a wheelchair that can maneuver on the sand.
Cheslyn Simpson, 22, who has Friedreich's ataxia, a neuro-muscular disorder, uses a wheelchair to get around. When her family heads to the beach each summer, it's a "workout" to get her near the water, her mother, Shannon, says in a story posted at LSU's Media Center website.
For the students, it's a chance to put their technical knowledge to the test with a real-life engineering challenge. The project is part of the Senior Capstone Design program, "the final proving ground for out seen-to-be graduates," said Judy Wornat, Dean of the College of Engineering.
The students have worked on the wheelchair since the start of the 2017-18 semester. From planning to fundraising, design, and execution, the wheelchair will go through a number of tests to make sure it works, especially on sand.