What it does
Our design enables upper and lower limb amputees to participate in dragon boating by providing affordable, waterproof assistive devices that attach directly to paddles and boat seats—eliminating the need for costly prosthetics and closing an accessibility gap.
Your inspiration
It all started when Boon, a quad-amputee with amputations in both knees and wrist regions, wanted to do what most would call impossible: he wanted to dragon boat. The concept of dragon boat gear for amputees was inspired by the film character “Alita,” a cyborg warrior with artificial limbs. Just as how these limbs empower Alita, we wanted the gear to enable Boon to overcome physical limitations and go beyond societal expectations, rewriting the narrative for both the amputee and sports community. The Alita Dragon Boat gear were designed to fit Boon's way of dragon boating, rather than fitting him into the image of a "normal" dragon boater.
How it works
For people with lower limb amputations, an effective anchoring system is essential for moving the torso forward and back to the upright position without the risk of falling over. To support bilateral transtibial amputees (amputations below the knee), we have developed a seat attachment where amputees can rest their stumps and exert force on. The seat attachment can easily adapt to the boat's dimensions and user preferences. Furthermore, the simple and intuitive design makes installation easy and quick. To aid trans-radial amputees (amputations beyond elbow) in effectively paddling while maintaining good postural form, we have developed a 3D-printed arm attachment which can be attached to any paddle with a T-shaped handle. The attachments are made of PLA plastic and covered with a foam layer to provide a good fit and comfortable cushioning. The design allows the amputee to independently remove the attachments quickly during an emergency.
Design process
Over the past few months, we’ve iterated on seat and paddle attachment designs to better support amputee athletes in dragon boating. Our early approach mimicked the ideal A-frame posture used by able-bodied athletes, with extended arms for leverage. We attempted to replicate a tight-fitting prosthetic to hug the limbs for security, but this proved unsafe, overly warm, and uncomfortable. We then reduced surface coverage and shifted to strap-based attachments, securing 3D-printed components to both the user and the paddle. Initially complex with many moving parts, the design evolved to become more streamlined and rigid. Through continuous feedback and observation, we learned to adapt our product to users' strengths—focusing on the upper arms and core muscles, which provide the most power. After over 20 successful sessions, our current design has also been adapted to support another quad amputee. As our initiative gains traction across Singapore, we’ve expanded to include stroke survivors and others with physical disabilities. Moving forward, we aim to empower more individuals to take part in dragon boating and challenge perceptions of ability
How it is different
Despite the large population of amputees, there is an accessibility gap which prevents them from participating in various physically-demanding, high-intensity sports such as dragon boating. Existing prosthetic limbs are costly, and at most, water-resistant, but not waterproof, which significantly limits its application in water sports like dragon boating. Furthermore, there are currently 0 commercial adaptive dragon boat equipment for amputees.
Future plans
Our devices were used by two amputees at the 2024 Pesta Sukan Dragon Boat Race and 2024 DBHearts, two of Singapore’s largest events. One was the world’s first known quadruple amputee dragon boater, with both bilateral transradial and transtibial amputations. Since then, the Alita Initiative has grown from two to over twenty adaptive paddlers—including amputees and stroke survivors—showcasing the project’s growing impact. We aim to continue refining our designs to better support diverse users and make dragon boating more inclusive for all.
Awards
Featured on Straits Times, Must Share News, and Mothership
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