Customer:  Cornhusker Driving School

Industry:  Drivers Education & Safety

Project:  Production Manufacturing and Engineering Services

The Challenge:  Converting a prototype to a finished consumer ready product.

The Owner of the Cornhusker Driving School has been a national leader in drivers’ education and safety since 1966. The institution has never relied on a single teaching practice to educate their pupils. Instead, the Family at Cornhuskers Driving School has used innovate techniques and tools to give students an interactive learning experience. Their methods have been anything but ordinary and, in the beginning of 2019, they asked Kendall Howard to partner on their mission. The Persuader was introduced to Kendall Howard. A product that simulates a vehicle rollover. This instrument in the classroom can demonstrate best practices for releasing the seat belt when upside down. As a way to demonstrate this action, a 4-point harness is used slightly loose so that students drop safely into it. Once demonstrated, the team knew they wanted to be part of the Cornhuskers innovative teaching tool.

Solution Type:  Design in safety controls and improve manufacturing repeatability.

• Kendall Howard created a control board with a hold-down switch to activate the start of the Persuader. A necessary safety control so that the product is not able to function without a person at the control board.
• An emergency stop was added to the control board.
• Chassis reconfigured to work with high-end polymer wheels. The push/pull force was greatly reduced to promote better ergonomics.
• Parts were redesigned so that they could more efficiently be produced.