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Team and
Individual Project Task Summary
Team Project Tasks:
- Mid-term
Assignment:
- Review candidate project offerings
from the handout or webpage
- Note interesting
projects
- Form a team of no more than
three
- Considerations for Team
Formation and Project Selection:
- Project
preference - All team members should have a desire to work on the same
project.
- Undergraduate /
graduate student - It would be best if all team members were either
undergraduate or graduate students as this makes it easier to continue projects
into the Spring Quarter.
- Desire to
continue project work into Spring Quarter - Ideally, all team members
should commit to continue their project effort into the Spring
Quarter.
- Team's
engineering skill set - Match the team's expertise with the needs of the
project, including shop / lab experience and fabrication ability.
- Team members'
course load - All team members should be able to devote sufficient time to
the project.
- Personality
- There should be a compatible mix of personalities on the team.
- Friends and
team members - A good friend does not necessarily make a good team
mate.
- Consider interesting projects as a
team
- Decide on a team project - inform
instructor of selection
- Contact the individual who suggested
the project
- Acquire information on underlying
problem and need
- Investigate project needs with an
individual with a disability, caregivers, family members, health-care
professionals
- Evaluate the needs to further define
and specify the project parameters
- Gather relevant background
information for the project, including any prior design approaches and existing
commercial products
- Determine the magnitude of the
problem/need and identify all the populations who may benefit from an improved
solution.
- Brainstorm, evaluate, and select a
design concept
- Provide a concise and convincing
statement of how your project might address the need / problem. Outline general
design concepts and new technology that might be brought to bear on it.
- Begin prototyping solutions starting
with sketches, CAD models, and low resolution 3D physical models. Meet
regularly with the user to discuss the merits of your developing design - what
looks promising and what requires further thought. Refine your prototypes as
needed.
- Present your team's progress in
class
- Submit a mid-term report
- End-of-term Assignment:
- Prototype, fabricate, test, assess
the result - iterate the process
- Present team’s design - giving
background, criteria, initial concepts from brainstorming, selected design
candidate, and any prototyping, fabrication, and testing
- Submit an end-of-term
final report and
Individual Reflection on the project
experience
- Meet and communicate with instructor
on project progress
- Attend lectures as
required
Individual
Project Tasks:
- Attend at least 10 lectures,
including the first lecture, Introduction to
Assistive Technology.
- Meet with the course instructor to
agree on an assistive technology project and to report progress during the
quarter.
- Interview an individual with a
disability or older adult, consisting of a overview of the individual's life,
challenges being faced, successes achieved, desires for the future.
- Review of assistive technology
employed, their usefullness and limitations, problems experienced, and similar
products on the market.
- Focus on one of these activities
that benefits the interviewed older adult or individual with a
disability:
- Research an
assistive technology topic - report on new products and research under
development that have the potential to benefit the interviewed older adult or
person with a disability.
- Pursue a "paper
design" of an assistive technology device - develop a CAD design or a "low
resolution" physical device built from foam-core or other prototyping material.
- Create a work of
art - create an original poem, song, skit, painting, or video. (This option
would be of particular interest to students who have skills and expertise other
than engineering.)
- Engage in an
aftermarket aesthetic design - select an existing assistive product that
could benefit from a better appearance, contact the manufacturer, and work with
a user of the device to improve its aesthetic appeal.
- Engage in an
aftermarket functionality / usability design - select an existing assistive
product that could benefit from a better functionality or usability, contact
the manufacturer, and work with a user of the device to improve its
functionality or usability.
- Give a final presentation of about
15 minutes in length to be scheduled outside of class time during the week of
March 2nd that includes PowerPoint slides,
photographs, and short videos as described
here.
- Submit a final report that documents
the entire quarter's effort and addresses the elements described
here. Individual final reports are due
Monday, March 16th.
- Submit an Individual Reflection as
described here. Individual reflections
are due Monday, March 18th.
Pre-lecture Class
Discussions:
- Arrive on-time
- Be attentive
- Absorb / understand /
analyze
- Formulate opinions
- Contribute to discussion
Guest Lectures:
- Be attentive
- Absorb / understand /
analyze
- Ask questions
- Fill out Class Session Evaluation
Forms
Communication:
- Submit Weekly Individual Reports or meet individually
or as a team with instructor
- Present mid-term team progress and
submit a report
- Present end-of-term team
presentation and submit a report
- Submit end-of-term Individual
Reflection
- Participate in class discussions and
lecture questions
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