Assignment: Build a human-powered machine for lifting a cinderblock onto the “roof” of a “building.” The machine should not rely on operator strength, and nothing can be attached to the cinder block prior to lifting.

My partner and I designed a human-powered crane to lift the cinder block. In its simplest form, it was basically a seesaw with the cinder block on one end, and the human operator on the other.

We designed a gravity clamping system that would grab onto the cinder block from above if the claw was raised. To release the block, a pulley system was incorporated to open the claw up. The beam of the crane was mounted on a thick PVC pipe.

We built a 4-sided base for the central PVC pipe to slot in while rotating freely. To make it mobile, we put the whole system on caster wheels. In order to easily incorporate the user's body weight without needing them to do a pullup, a footstep was added to the user's end of the beam. The user can then put one leg on the footstep and keep their other leg on the ground, and fine-tune the amount of force they apply.

Below is a demonstration video where we successfully lifted the cinder block onto the "roof".