Winter Quarter 2021

          
Perspectives in Assistive Technology
ENGR110/210

          

David L. Jaffe, MS
Online via Zoom
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:30pm to 5:50pm PT

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Candidate Projects for Two Credit Units - 2021


General Information on Projects for Two Credit Units

Projects Two Credit Units are designed for a student who wishes to receive a letter grade and two credit units. Students working on a project for Two Credit Units must inform the course instructor of the desired project topic and to discuss and agree upon the specifics of the project . Also see Required Course and Individual Project Activities.

Projects for Two credit units differ from Team Projects from previous academic years in that they (projects for Two Credit Units) may address simpler problems, have less complex solutions, may not require a fabrication task, may not involve a user, may not require following an engineering design process, or result in a lower level of prototype functionality (such as producing a CAD design instead of a working physical prototype). For example, a project may focus on investigating a service related to assistive technology such as connecting older adults with each other or with college students.

Optionally, two students may work collectively on projects for Two Credit Units, sharing these tasks: obtaining background information and brainstorming. However each student is required to pursue, present, and report on different solutions. Two credit unit projects require attendance in at least 15 class sessions, including the first class session, Introduction to Assistive Technology, Project Pitches, and Project Presentations.

Students working on Two Credit Unit projects focus on one of the following activities that relate to or would potentially benefit an older adult or individual with a disability:

  • Report on an advance in assistve technology - report on new products and research under development in one of the following topic areas:

    • Neural implants, brain-computer interfaces
    • Prosthetics and orthotics
    • Robotics
    • Mobility products
    • Software products
    • Accessibility solutions
  • Report on applications of assistive technology - report on products and research under development in one of the following topic areas:

    • Learning for grade school students with disabilities
    • Web access for individuals with disabilities and older adults
    • Mobility for wheelchair users
    • Speech generation for individuals who are non-vocal
    • Activities of daily living for older adults
  • Report on a disability-related topic - research one of the following topics:

    • Disability and the Law
    • Disability in Film - with a movie review (could be country-specific)
    • Disability in Books - with a detailed book review
    • Disability Activism - Disability Rights
    • Disability in Politics
    • Disability in Sports
    • Disability in the Arts
    • Disability in Music
    • Disability in Employment
  • Report on a local disability or aging organization - submit a comprehensive document that includes student perspectives, as well as those of a staff person and client. Here are some Bay Area organizations:

  • 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 low-cost prototyping material. These could address a challenge related to activities of daily living, creative expression, sports, vocation, communication, mobility, recreation, and leisure. Here are some assistive technology projects from Hackaday that might inspire you.

  • Fabricate an "appearance model" of an assistive technology device - build a limited functional model of an assistive technology device.

  • Create a work of art - create an original poem, song, skit, painting, or video (such as a day in the life of a person with a disability or older adult). (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.

  • Consider one of the projects listed below - typical tasks include interviewing an individual with a disability or older adult to get a better understanding of the individual's life, challenges being faced, successes achieved, and desires for the future. Review assistive technology used, their usefulness and limitations, problems experienced, and similar products on the market.


Project Titles Index: (year originally suggested)


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Small red dot  Assistive Technology Maker Space Projects

Background: Maker Spaces labs are popping up in schools all across the country. They provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build, and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering, and tinkering. A Maker Space is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab, or art room, but it may contain elements found in all of these familiar spaces. Therefore, it must be designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, tools, and materials. Diversity and cross-pollination of activities are critical to the design, fabrication, and exploration process, and they are what set Maker Spaces apart from single-use spaces. [1]

Problem: "I am supporting schools that have Maker Spaces, but they lack meaningful, real-world, open-ended challenges for students to do in them. The schools need inspirational challenges and basic support resources (background on the problem, design constraints, and success criteria)." Greg Brown

Aim: Design and document four example Maker Space projects for schools to offer. These projects should focus on assistive technology and involve the design, fabrication, and testing of a prototype device or tool that benefits a person with a disability or an older adult.

Design Criteria:

  • Projects should be suitable for students in grades 7 to 12.
  • Projects could be designed for either individual students or teams to pursue.
  • Project durations are expected to be about a month.

Deliverables:

  • The report must describe four example assistive technology projects to be constructed in Maker Space environment, including full project descriptions.
  • The report must describe the process the teacher would use to introduce disability, assistive technology, the project design process, and these projects.

Example Projects:

  • a piece of specialized or adaptive equipment for a new game or sports activity that is inclusive for all students
  • a lap tray for a wheelchair user in class
  • a storage solution for a wheelchair user in class
  • a lighting project to enhance night time visibility for a wheelchair user

Other: Field trips to the Maker Space schools in Los Gatos or Saratoga can be arranged.

Links:

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Small red dot  Assistive Technology Pop-Up Shop

Problem: Many assistive technology products are too expensive for people with disabilities or older adults to purchase. Sometimes a custom solution is required. Others are not covered by insurance. In addition, broken devices may require repair.

Aim: Explore plans for a pop-up store that would fabricate low-cost assistive technology devices, repair broken products, or create custom solutions.

Design Criteria: Plans should include:

  • example devices to be fabricated or repaired
  • parts to be stocked
  • equipment to be purchased
  • workers required
  • space required
  • work flow
  • funding and financial considerations
  • advertising plan

Links:

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Small red dot  LiveWell RERC 2021 Student App Challenge

LiveWell RERC is sponsoring an app development competition for middle, high school, and college students as well as non-professional developers. Three winning apps will be selected to receive a cash award. They will also select two apps at random for prizes, to encourage project submissions even for simple apps.

The LiveWell App Challenge is intended to promote awareness of the need for assistive and accessible technologies by fostering innovation through a fun, hands-on activity. Applicants are encouraged to submit mobile applications that address a need from one of LiveWell’s target areas, but apps from any area will be accepted. We are particularly interested in apps that can be used by people with disabilities and people who are aging. Below are additional focus areas:

  • Health and function
  • Accessibility
  • Money management
  • Navigation
  • Home automation and control
  • Personal communication
  • Access to public announcements and notifications

Judging will take place in May 2021.

Links:

Here are some app creation tools:

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Small red dot  Simple Games for Children with Autism

"Last week I met with eight caregivers (mothers of children with autism) about you (Alexandra Berrio) and your organization's (Assistive Labs) assistive aid. Six have children with moderate to severe levels of autism who do not have verbal communication skills. The mothers shared a shocking revelation with me that they lead socially isolated lives. They do not attend any social activities such marriages & birthday parties, visit relatives and neighbors' houses during the festival season, dine in restaurants, go to the market, etc. Other family members may attend these events, but the mothers, who are the main caregivers of their autistic children, can't attend. In public, their children exhibit the following behaviors:"

  • They become hyperactive: do not want to sit in their chairs.
  • They make meaningless sounds, sometimes they shout - sometimes these vocalizations disturb everyone nearby.
  • They become restless: running and jumping.
  • Sometimes they become destructive: breaking glasses and hitting others. (This may be a sensory issue.)
  • They exhibit unwanted behaviors such as taking food from another's plate or licking objects.

"People nearby object to these activities and complain. For these reasons, the caregivers lead socially isolated lives caring as they care for their autism children."

"There are many games and apps for children, but none specifically for autistic children. These children do like gadgets, but they face challenges using them. Most of them provide too much stimulation and require a high level of concentration, making them difficult to use. The parents want a device to occupy their children when they attend social activities. During that time, the children should be fully engaged with the device so they don't misbehave. The device should be easy to carrry and use."

"An Occupational Therapy perspective offers these consideration for a successful app:"

  • Display less visual information as excessive visual information over-stimulates.
  • Use only basic colors such as red, yellow, and blue.

(This document was authored by the Centre for Rehabilitation and Paralysis in Bangladesh and provided by Alexandra Berrio of Assistive Labs.)

Links:

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Small red dot  Durable Medical Equipment Projects

Aim: Explore CAD designs for affordable durable medical equipment supporting older adults at home including devices to:

  • assist in standing
  • help in lifting
  • transfer to/from wheelchair to bath tub
  • ascend and descend stairs
  • prevent bed sores
  • facilitate transportation to/from rehab centers and doctor's appointments
  • promote upper body exercise

Links:

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Small red dot  User Survey of Power Wheelchair Desirable Features and Capabilities

Perform a survey of power wheelchair users to identify desirable features and capabilities that could be incorporated into future wheelchair designs. Include both wheelchair and user safety items as well as information about the surrounding infrastructure and route being traveled.

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Small red dot  Projects employing inexpensive voice-recognition technology

Background: Thirty years ago, voice recognition systems were in their infancy. A typical system cost $3000 and required considerable user training to recognize just a few words. Today, the cost of these devices has fallen sharply while the performance has improved greatly.

Aim: Explore an application for a person with a disability using an inexpensive voice recognition product. Examples include enhanced computer control and accessibility for those with limited manipulation abilities, control of household appliances (lights, TV, music system), and operation of a hospital bed.

Design Criteria: The device should be appropriate for the user's abilities and be simple to configure and use.

Other:

Links:
EasyVR Shield
Voice Recognition Module
Speech Recognition with Arduino

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Small red dot   Household Tasks Project

Problem: Older adults often find it difficult to perform everyday household tasks such as hanging curtains, fixing household devices, cleaning windows, ironing, and making the bed.

Aim: Explore device designs that are capable of improving or restoring the ability of older adults to attend to daily household tasks, especially the most basic ones such as making the bed and ironing.

Design Criteria: The design should be intuitive and safe to use, highly reliable, lightweight, and easy to handle, clean, and store.

Links:

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Small red dot  Shower / Bathtub / Sink / Toilet Cleaning Project

Problem: For older adults to remain in their current housing (as they desire), they must be able to independently maintain the cleanliness of their house, including its shower, bathtub, sink, and toilet. While there are numerous cleaning products on the market, none adequately addresses the problem. [What are some of their limitations?]

Aim: Explore design solutions for the shower / bathtub / sink / toilet cleaning problem for an older adult with a disability.

Design Criteria: The design(s) must be economical, esthetically pleasing, as well as easy and safe to use while performing the cleaning task. The design will be driven by the user's abilities.

Links:

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Small red dot  Projects Suggested by the Ideation Workshop Senior User Insights Panel

Address concerns expressed by the Ideation Workshop Senior User Insights Panel for the Stanford Center on Longevity's Design Challenge, "Enabling Personal Mobility across the Life Span".

The result of the individual student project efforts should be ideas, concepts, or low-resolution models rather than functional prototypes.

  • lifting individuals who have fallen in their home (either with or without the assistance of another family member)
  • promoting community participation through enhanced use of transportation and communication systems
  • improving appearance and beauty
  • sustaining mobility and activity after a diagnosis of Parkinson's or other similar conditions
  • addressing technophobia through instructional techniques
  • making new friends and maintaining current relationships in the community
  • redesigning communities for older adults

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Small red dot  Projects with Abby

Photo of Abby and Nathan

Background: Abby is an artist, a retired art teacher (grades K-College), a clinical social worker, and a computer graphic designer. She is an individual with multiple disabilities: a mobility challenge, a bipolar disorder, and a visual impairment. She is passionate about making a difference and advocating for individual rights. She has been a chair of the Consumer Advisory Council and formerly represented consumers on the Board of Directors of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in Santa Clara County and has volunteered in their Connection Recovery Support Group and the Peer PAL Program. She has also volunteered for the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, has been on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC), has successfully been involved in litigation to preserve the rights of service dog recipients when they are hospitalized, and has presented Poster Sessions and spoken at conferences including NAMI's National Convention, California ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) 2015 Conference celebrating 25 years and the California Council of the Blind's Annual Convention. Abby has mentored elementary school students with art lessons, and partnered with high school students in programs for Project Invent and Design the Future. She is currently updating a therapeutic board game she made for inpatient psychiatric units. Abby has a successor service dog, Nathan, from Canine Partners for Life (CPL) in Cochranville, PA and has served on their Advisory Council.

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Improved Pooper Scooper

Background: Abby is an older adult who relies on a powered wheelchair for her mobility and her service dog to help her with daily tasks.

Problem: Current pooper scooper products are bulky, difficult to operate, and are not designed for wheelchair users.

Aim: Explore designs for a device that will allow Abby to effectively clean up after their service dog while remaining active in their community.

Design Criteria:

  • Compact to facilitate storage
  • Aesthetic design
  • Easy to retrieve and store
  • Integrated waste disposal bag
  • Easy to dispose bag
  • Easy to clean

Links:

Examples of reacher products for inspiration: Pooper Scooper products that are too bulky:
  • ZEENING Pet Pooper Scooper Long Handle Foldable Poop Scoop Shovel for Large & Small Dogs Waste Pick Up Jaw for All Surface, Waste Bags and Holder Included - $15
  • LEADALLWAY Foldable Dog Poop Scooper 24 Inch Long Handle Jaw Pet Pooper Scoopers for Large Small Medium Dogs, Ideal for Grass,Gravel,Yards or Patio Waste-Pick Up - $11.50

Recommended Skillset: Mechanical Engineering, Shop

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Sewing Machine Needle Threading Project

Background: Abby's sewing machine is a Brother CS600i. It has two needles that have to be threaded by hand. The needle that is presently on the machine works with the self threader. Also the self threader only works with needles of certain sizes depending on the type of material used. The needle threads from front to back, rather than from side to side. (These four photos show the needle and the sewing machine.)

View of sewing machine View of sewing machine View of sewing machine View of sewing machine

Problem: The sewing machine's needle is located in a tight spot making it awkward to thread, especially for individuals with limited vision. With the threading from front to back, it is difficult to see the placement of the thread in relationship to the needle.

Aim: Explore designs for a device that facilitates threading of the needle.

Design Criteria:

  • Device must remain stable with respect to the machine
  • Device provides both magnification and illumination

Links:

Recommended Skillset: Mechanical Engineering, Shop

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Camping Cot Project

Background: "I love the freedom I feel when I go camping."

Problem: "My Therm-a-Rest camping cot sits low to the ground (6 inches). The bed material and the long poles across the cot's width are not a problem. However, it takes a lot of force and hand strength to attach and remove the legs. Even an able-bodied camper had difficulty putting a leg on, so I didn't use it on a recent camping trip. It is a great cot, just much too difficult to assemble and disassemble."

"There are 2 collapsible rods that slide into sleeves down both sides of the cot. The legs are too difficult to bend into the right position and hook into openings along the sleeves around the rods. If the legs were integrated into the cot or if there was an easy way to attach and remove its legs - that would be ideal."

"I have tried other cots from both REI and Sports Basement and have not found one that I could put together by myself. The Helinox cot is very heavy, and very expensive."

"I read a review of Big Agnes Helinox Cot Lite where it was described as needing a lot of hand strength/force to put it together - 'note that adult strength is required for assembly and disassembly'."

"Amazon offers many cots, but unless you actually buy one and try putting it together, you have no idea if it is in fact light and easy to put together."

Aim: Explore designs for a camping cot that Abby will find to be easy to assemble and disassemble independently.

Design Criteria:

  • "I am interested in a cot that sits low-to-the-ground."
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble independently
  • Lightweight and portable (parts are collapsible and fit into a small sack)

Other:

Links:

Recommended Skillset: Mechanical Engineering, Shop


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Alert Project

Background: "Another project I am interested in is some kind of an audible alert that I could easily press to alert people that I am passing. I had this idea for Project Invent this summer, and the idea one team was working on was a recording of my voice very loud saying "Passing By," "Coming Through," or "Excuse Me." My idea is that it would attach to the right arm of the WHILL so that I would have easy access to press on it. I have looked at bicycle bells, horns, etc. The problem I have is using both hands with Nathan and the WHILL, and not being able to hold something else. Bicycle bells are for rounded handlebars, and don't fit the WHILL arm, plus you have to turn them, press something small on them, or some other way of getting the noise that I can't do. The noise has to be loud enough for people to hear it."

Problem: In crowded spaces, people are not often aware of a wheelchair user trying to negotiate the "walking traffic", increasing the possibility of collisions.

"This is a huge problem everywhere I go outside in the community, or in buildings. Many times an individual's attention is not on where they are walking, or how their walking patterns may affect someone coming from behind in a powered wheelchair."

Aim: Explore designs to alert people in Abby's path.

Design Criteria:

  • Easy access to activation mechanism on right side of wheelchair
  • Easy activation while operating wheelchair and controlling Nathan
  • Loud enough for people to be alerted in noisy rooms
  • Several alert modes and volumes

Other:

Links:

Recommended Skillset: Mechanical Engineering, Electronics


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Other Projects

Cutting vegtables for cooks with one arm
Cutting boards for cooks who are blind or those with limited arm/hand mobility

Small red dot  Magical Bridge Playground

Background: The Magical Bridge Playground is the nation's first fully accessible and socially inclusive playground. It is a public space where children with disabilities as well as children of parents who have a disability can play together. The City of Palo Alto designated 1.3 acres of underutilized public land in Mitchell Park, located at 600 East Meadow Drive in Palo Alto, for the site of the Magical Bridge Playground - adjacent to Abilities United and close to the new Mitchell Park Library.

The playground opened in April 2015 and has been overwhelmingly popular with both kids and parents, with some families traveling long distances to experience it.

After the Playground was completed, the Magical Bridge Foundation was created to assist other communities in building their own innovative and inclusive playgrounds. Construction on a Playground in Redwood City began in the Fall of 2017, and funds are currently being raised for Magical Bridge Playgrounds in Sunnyvale and Morgan Hill.


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Small red dot  Project with Olenka at the Magical Bridge Playground

photo of Olenka

Accessible and Inclusive Playground Attractions

Problem: The park's play equipment has been well-received, but some aspects of the play areas could be modified for better access. In addition, suggestions for replacement play areas are sought to update the park with fresh attractions every few years. And as new Playgrounds are planned and constructed, there are ongoing opportunities to design new features and refine existing designs to be accessible to everyone regardless of their abilities.

Aim: Explore designs to improve access to and navigation around the playground, as well as to create new play and educational experiences incorporating multiple senses, actions, and outcomes for all playground users and visitors, especially those with visual impairments and diminished fine motor skills.

Design Criteria:

  • Designs should be durable, fun, and safe for everyone - accommodating children and parents with disabilities - and be magical.
  • Project prototypes could be scale models to facilitate their construction and transportation.
  • Designs that incorporate electronics should be low-voltage or solar-powered.

Recommended Skillset: Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, depends on selected design concept


Links:

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Small red dot  Cutting Knife for Austin

Photo of Austin

Background: Austin is a sophomore studying Symbolic Systems. After a diving accident during the summer before his sophomore year of high school fractured his C6 vertebra and left him paralyzed from the chest down, he found direction in his education and learned to use assistive technology to make up for the limitations imposed by his disability. Looking forward, he is interested in exploring the ways the discipline of computer science can improve the lives of those with limited mobility.

Problem: "One of the more frequent problems I run into is using a knife while cooking. As a result of my spinal cord injury, my grasp strength is very weak, presenting problems in my practical ability to cut things with a knife."

Aim: Explore designs that would enable Austin to independently perform cooking activities relating to food preparation.

Design Criteria: The design must provide cutting safety and have a positive aesthetic.

Links:

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Small red dot  Wearable Storage Pack for Danny

Photo of Danny

Background: Danny is a wheelchair user who lives in Los Gatos with cerebral palsy and a cortical vision impairment.

Problem: Danny experiences limited upper body strength, grip and vision impairments, and diminished hand and finger dexterity. This interferes with his ability to put his phone into his existing Fanny pack. When he tries to do so, it falls on the ground. It is also difficult for him to secure and zip his existing pack.

Aim: Explore designs for a wearable storage pack that would enable Danny to independently and safely store his phone, wheelchair gloves, and other miscellaneous objects.

Design Criteria:

  • Easy to put on and take off independently
  • Appropriately sized opening
  • Large enough to securely hold a phone, gloves, and other small objects
  • Easy to open and close
  • Cool looking

Links:

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Small red dot  Identifying Emotional State Project

Background: Children and adolescents are dealing with many feelings as they transition from home to Children's National Hospital, a psychiatric hospital with an inpatient psychiatric unit in Washington DC for children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 due to depression, BiPolar disorder, ADHD, suicidality, and psychosis.

Problem: Sometimes children have difficulty expressing how they are feeling in real-time and in person. Clinicians would prefer / like to be aware of their daily emotional needs prior to interacting with them.

Aim: Explore designs for ways that clinicians can get updated on a patients' daily emotional state as awareness of their mindset may improve social interaction, medical treatments, and clinicians' safety.

Design Criteria:

  • No video or audio monitoring of the patients' rooms is allowed
  • No physical products can be placed a in a patients' rooms
  • Solutions involving technology are sought rather than suggestions regarding clinician / patient interactions

Links:

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Small red dot  Cell Phone Holder for Wheelchair

Photo of Tilly

Background: Tilly Griffiths is an international student from the United Kingdom and is a junior studying Political Science and Communication. Shortly following her first birthday, Tilly was diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type II), meaning she is a full-time power wheelchair user and relies on physical support with all aspects of daily life. However, since the age of 12 she aspired to cross the Atlantic and attend university in California, and her participation in the Sutton Trust US Programme for low-income, high-achieving students brought her to Stanford. She is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, so far raising in excess of $7 million to ensure that young people can access the best wheelchairs to help them achieve their goals, and on campus she serves as the ASSU Co-Director of Disability Advocacy.

Problem: For someone like me, my cell phone is not just a means of communication and entertainment - it's the key to my independence. Having access to my phone at all times during the day means that I can move around campus without the constant presence of my caregivers because, at the touch of a button or with the use of Siri, if I run into difficultly I can call for help instantly and have the situation resolved. However, this method does rely on my phone being in somewhat close reach because I cannot pull it from a pocket or bag and, as yet, I have not discovered a way of carrying my phone that ensures I can access it 100% of the time (for safety reasons) without the risk of it falling on the ground.

Aim: I am looking for a design of a phone holder for my electric wheelchair that allows it to sit safely near my lap within reach of my right hand, and ideally the attachment will hold the phone securely yet allow me to take it in and out independently with my very limited strength.

Design Criteria:

Links:

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Small red dot  Projects Suggested by Dave:

Creative Expression

Background: Most everyone has a desire to be creative through activities such as writing, painting, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, quilting, photography, singing, dancing, and music.

Problem: Existing tools supporting creativity are often lacking for people with disabilities. Movement difficulties may prevent an individual from fully participating in their chosen activity.

Aim: Explore ways to enhance creative expression for people with disabilities. This could include the creation of new activities or fabrication of new tools.

Suggestions:

  • Convert the user's existing assistive technology device into a creative "paintbrush" or "musical instrument"
  • Use non-traditional inputs such as residual movements or brain waves
  • Adapt or create instruments for musicians with disabilities
    One-Handed Musical Instrument (OHMI) Competition

Other:

Recommended Skillset: Various, depends on chosen solution

Links:


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Designing Your Afterlife

Background: Death is the most severe form of disability as one is no longer able to interact with people or physical objects in the living world. What remains are only frozen static artifacts - images, writings, and the stories of others. Gone are one's personality, beliefs, expertise, humor, vision, memories, insights, and intellect.

Problem: With one's passing, it is impossible to provide a full and accurate representation of whom they were, what they believed in, and how they acted. The recollections of family and friends fade and disappear with time, leaving the departed one's legacy at the mercy of the living.

Aim: Explore ways to preserve one's essence after death. In the technology extreme, this might manifest itself as an interactive system that responds to queries, retells stories, relates experiences, shares expertise, and expresses humor. The pre-dead user would be able to create and program his / her eternal computer-based persona before her / his demise.

Other:

Recommended Skillset: Various, depends on chosen solution

Links:

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Tactile Objects

Background: Tactile sensory sensations can help young children - including those who are blind or visually impaired - learn and understand ideas. Visual art learning can happen from direct sensory touching by hands. Tactile art making stimulates learning in different ways than visual or audio learning.

Problem: Without tactile opportunities, a child can miss out on important spatial learning.

Aim: Explore designs to fabricate a tactile creation - a work of art, a museum artifact, an educational tool, or a play toy - for a person who is blind or visually impaired.

Links:

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COVID-related Projects

Device to assist with donning a mask, gloves, gown
Device that provides automated hand washing and hand sanitizing
Device to facilitate independent cleaning and sanitizing of home surfaces
Other COVID-related issues

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Student-defined Projects

Meet with course instructor to discuss and agree upon the specifics of the project. Interview, observe, and discuss assistive technology problems with an individual with a disability or older adult. Address their desire to participate in one of the following activities by designing an adaptation to an existing device / tool or creating a new, more useful one. Projects could address:
  • Activities of Daily Living - cooking, showering or bathing, dressing, cleaning, housework, yard work, employment, education, shopping, commuting, etc

  • Sports and Exercise - walking, running, indoor and outdoor sports, etc

  • Leisure Activities and Hobbies - collecting, model making, crafts, board games & videogames, etc

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Small red dot  Title

Background:

Problem:

Aim:

Design Criteria:

Links:

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Updated 01/14/2021

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