Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course,
This course relies on community involvement, Introduction to Student Projects Previous newsletters described the benefits of student projects, the project suggestion submission process, and project requirements. This issues addresses the Project Statement Format for student project suggestions. 
Project Statement Format Briefly, what is the process for considering and submitting project suggestions? - First identify a specific challenge or problem experienced by a person with a disability or older adult. Then perform an internet search to confirm that the problem has not already been adequately addressed. Then carefully review the project requirements to make sure the idea complies with all the criteria. Finally submit a short email - text format is ok - that identifies the user or population affected and briefly describes the nature of the problem. Include desirable features of a solution, but do not specify how the device should appear, be built, or solve the problem - as those are tasks for the student team to consider. It is ok if the problem affects just one individual. What happens after a project suggestion is submitted? - Submitted project suggestions will be read, reviewed, and considered. Those that meet all the project requirements and receive my approval will be accepted as candidate team projects. A project Problem Statement describing the challenge will be composed for posting on the course website and disseminated as a handout to students on the first day of class. Refer to this past year's team candidate project list for examples of past Problem Statements. The Problem Statement consists of these short paragraphs: Name - a simple, short, descriptive phrase or title to refer to the project. Background - an overview of the organization and / or provide a general description of the population addressed by the project suggestion. Problem - a brief and concise description of the problem, including how it affects the particular person with a disability or older adult. (The Everyday Usefulness of the Problem Statement by Alan Nicol is a well-written reference article.) Aim - a description of what the proposed solution should do, but not how it should do it. Design Criteria - a list of the desirable operational features and characteristics of the proposed solution. Priortize the criteria into those that are essential, those that would be good to include, and those of lesser importance. Other - additional information that will illuminate the problem and facilitate a solution, such as photographs, short videos, a list available resources, weblinks, and general design suggestions. Contact Information - the suggestor's name, company (if applicable), email address, and phone number (optional). Upcoming Local Events I will be giving three local presentations on the critical role that older adults and people with disabilities play as they work with teams of Stanford students to design and fabricate prototype devices that address the real problems and challenges that people with disabilities and older adults experience as well as soliciting project suggestions for the course.
Microsoft Research Study on Accessible Virtual Reality "Microsoft Research is exploring how to improve the accessibility of virtual reality systems for people who experience tremor, muscle weakness, fatigue, limited mobility in their hands, arms or legs, people with missing fingers or limbs, and people with conditions that impact motor abilities such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, or stroke." "As part of this effort, we are conducting an interview study with adults to learn about their thoughts on, and experiences with, virtual reality systems. Prior experience with virtual reality is not required. The study will be conducted for two weeks spanning August 26th to September 6th and will last approximately 90 minutes. Participants will receive a $75 Amazon gift card for their participation. Interviews can be conducted over Skype, Zoom, or another video conference platform. If you live in the Seattle, Washington area, we can conduct the interview at our research lab in Redmond. Up to $50 can be added to the gift card (if needed) to reimburse for transportation expenses to get to our Redmond offices. Participation is confidential; all data from our study will be anonymized. If there are any questions, please contact the lead researcher, Martez Mott." Eligibility Criteria:
Other Support the course - Funding in any amount for the course and student projects is always welcomed. Monetary gifts support approved project expenses, administrative costs, honoraria for guest lecturers, and the end-of-term celebration. Refer to the Course and Project Support webpage for more information. Email questions, comments, or suggestions - Please email me if you have general questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the course. Thank you again for your interest. Dave
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