|
Candidate Team
and Individual Projects - 2015
Team Projects are
for suitable for 1, 2, or 3 students taking the course for three
credits, while Individual Projects are designed to be less
time-consuming for a student whose schedule does not permit working on a
team-based project but wishes to receive a letter grade and one
credit.
n - new or updated project description for
2015
Team Projects suggested this
year:
Team Projects suggested last
year:
Team Projects suggested in past
years:
Individual Projects:
- General Individual
Projects n
- Individual Projects
Suggested by the Ideation Workshop Senior User Insights
Panel n
- Individual Projects for
Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury
- Projects suggested by the
SCI Peer Support Group:
- Manipulating
objects
- Accessing the
real-world
- Camera
mount
- Charging
system
- Recreational
activities
- Caregiver (nurse and
therapist) assistance
- Projects suggested by an SCI
therapist:
- Fishing rod
- Wheelchair
brackets
- Accessible digital
camera
- Lap tray
system
- Specific Individual
Projects n
- Electric Scooter Design
Concept Project
- Fix Adapted Walker for a
User Recovering from Stroke
- Accessibility
Survey
- Customize the
Cane
- Emergency
Response
- Other Individual
Projects
- Accessible interfaces for
commonly-used devices
- Toys for kids with
disabilities
- Projects benefitting
children with Autism
- Projects benefitting parents
with disabilities
- Projects supporting equal
access to extracurricular sports activities for students with
disabilities
- Revisit projects listed in
NSF guide
- Student-defined Individual
Projects
- Activities of Daily
Living
- Sports and
Exercise
- Leisure Activities and
Hobbies
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Project
title n
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Background:
-
Problem:
-
Aim:
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Design Criteria:
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Other:
- Links:
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Kitchen Helper
Project n
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Background: Individuals who have
severe arthritis or who have experienced paralysis due to a stroke often have
weakness in their hands and arms.
-
Problem: This hand or arm weakness
can make it difficult for stroke survivors to perform kitchen-related
activities of daily living.
-
Aim: Explore designs to help these
individuals with kitchen activities such as food preparation and food
service.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be able to move objects (dishes, food items, pots, pans) around the kitchen
(to/from stove top, to/from sink, along kitchen surfaces, and to/from breakfast
table or dining room).
-
Other:
- Links:
- Kitchen
Aids for Stroke Survivors
- Making
Your Kitchen User Friendly for Everyone
- Kitchen
Modifications
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PDA and Me
Project n
-
Background: "When I had a stroke
more than 15 years ago, my right half of the body lost its sense of feeling. I
don't know what my right side is doing. I have only one functional hand, my
left hand. My right hand and arm are not only dysfunctional, but they could
cause a disaster. It has sometimes caused not only injury, but also loss of
stuff I was carrying in my right hand." - Sachiko
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Problem: "I'm far behind from the
current technology. I often thought about getting an iPhone or iPad, but I
don't know how to hold it AND operate it with one hand/arm. I resisted getting
into the iPhone-iPad fad, because using these gadgets requires two steady and
functional hands. Nobody at Apple Stores or magazine articles gave me any
answer so far. I'd appreciate if a student team could give me a
hint/hand."
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Aim: Explore designs that would
enable Sachiko to handle and operate an iPhone or iPad.
-
Design Criteria:
-
Other:
- Links:
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Baby Lifter
Project n
-
Background: Carol teaches at
Stanford. She has two herniated discs in her back. She had a percutaneous
lumbar discectomy procedure for this in her 20s. Her general diagnosis may be
tendinopathy or
flexible joint syndrome. In addition, she has some RSI, severe tennis elbow,
plantar fasciitis, and some neck and shoulder irritation. As a result of her
condition, she can only lift and carry a few pounds.
-
Problem: Carol's inability to lift
and carry more than a few pounds affects her role as a mother to her daughter -
specifically in feeding, soothing, diaper changing, burping, lifting, and
transferring her.
-
Aim: Explore design concepts
addressing one or more of Carol's activities as a mother.
-
Design Criteria:
- The design should be safe for both
Carol and her daughter
- The design should fit into her home,
both physically and aesthetically
- The design should not require drilling
into walls or floors
- The design should be able to be easily
moved to where ever it is needed
- The design should accommodate a
growing child
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Other:
- Links:
- Carol's research and comments - 50 Kb pdf
file
- Adaptations
Supporting Relationships between Parents with Disabilities and Their Infants
and Toddlers - Megan Kirshbaum
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Pimp Out Aubrie's
Scooter n
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Background: Aubrie is a 2014
Stanford graduate in Product Design who has been using a wheelchair or scooter
since age eight. She nows works at Google as a Associate Product Marketing
Manager.
-
Problem: Individuals, like Aubrie,
who use wheelchairs, scooters, or walkers have little opportunity to extend
their personal sense of fashion and aesthetics to these devices. This is
exacerbated by the fact that the equipment covered by health insurance or
Medicare is often the most "basic" version with a plain design. Whereas one's
choice of clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry are made on a daily basis,
users of these devices have to "wear" the same equipment everyday and for every
occasion.
-
Aim: Explore ways to add a
personal aesthetic to Aubrie's scooter
|
Design Criteria: |
|
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The design should not alter or
permanently deface or damage the physical structure or operation of her
scooter.
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The customization should be able to
easily be installed, removed, changed, cleaned, and washed by
Aubrie.
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The design concept should not only
work with Aubrie's scoooter, but also be flexible enough to be adapted to a
number of popular / standard wheelchairs, scoother, or walkers covered by
insurance and Medicare.
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Reflect Aubrie's persona and
aesthetic in the design. (Personas include casual / refined / elegant, modern /
contemporary, smart / sporty, premium / luxury, user's age and gender,
etc).
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Consider fabrics, metal finishes,
colors, patterns, lights, textures, and text elements.
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Consider a variety of usage
occasions such as home, work, outdoors, party, tailgating, etc.
-
The design should be inexpensive
and easy to fabricate.
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Consider designs that would enhance
her scooter's visibility while crossing streets.
|
- Links:
- Design
Flair for the Least-Stylish Devices
- Icon Wheelchairs
- Amazing
Halloween Costumes around a Wheelchair
|
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Therapy Game for Stroke
Survivors n
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Background: Two-thirds of stroke
survivors require some kind of physical or occupational therapy to improve
their range of motion and coordination. Commercially-available motion-sensing
computer interfaces such as the Leap Motion and Microsoft Kinect are being
increasing used in medical and therapy applications.
-
Problem: The lack of compliance
with a therapy regimen is a major barrier to physical improvement. Many stroke
survivors who experience hemiparesis find it difficult to comply with their
therapy regimen for a variety of reasons:
-
Since the benefits of therapy take a
long time to become apparent, stroke survivors might mistakenly believe that
the therapy is not working, become discouraged, and discontinue their therapy
regimen
-
Since the therapy takes place at home
rather than a clinic, there is a lack of encouragement and positive feedback
from a therapist
-
Hypothesis: Using a motion-sensing
computer interface to control a compelling video game such as Candy Crush or
Angry Birds can create a therapy program that is both engaging and fun, which,
in turn, can increase patient compliance with their therapy regimen and result
in improved outcomes.
-
Aim: Design a game (or series of
games) that employs a motion-sensing interface to create a compelling
range-of-motion exercise game, with a goal of increasing patient participation
and therapy compliance.
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Design Criteria: The design must
be extremely easy for a stroke survivor to use at home on their own computer.
The gameplay must be engaging, rewarding, and addictive. The design should use
a motion-sensing computer interface such as the Leap Motion or Microsoft Kinect
controller. Desirable features include: 1) recording game use such as length of
playtime and metrics related to range-of-motion and 2) increasing game
difficulty with improvement.
-
Other: A Kinect Sensor Bar is
available for use on this project.
- Links:
- Visual Touch Therapy
- Correlates of exercise
compliance in physical therapy
- Kinect Physical
Therapy - Boat Driving
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Within Reach
Project n
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Background: June is an older adult
who increasing finds that items in her upper kitchen and closet shelves are now
out of her reach.
-
Problem: Currently available step
stool solutions do not meet her needs: some are too tall, others have a
stepping area that is too small, and most do not have hand-holds to provide
needed balance and stability during reaching. Finally many step stools are
heavy and bulky, making them difficult to move and position.
-
Aim: Explore designs to provide a
safe and stable means of accessing items on upper shelves.
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Design Criteria: The solution must
be easy to move and position, offer a sense of security during use, have a
wide, non-slip surface, provide the proper height advantage, and be collapsable
for storage.
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Other:
- Links:
- Rubbermaid Plastic
Step Stool
- Cosco
Rolling Commercial Step Stool
- Cramer
Stop Step 1020 Mighty Life Ladder
- Wall
Cabinet Lifts Allow Users with Disabilities to Lower Cabinets to Increase
Accessibility
- Step Stool
Caster
- Mobile Two-Step
Stepstool
- Bariatric
Step Stool with Two Hand Rails
- Wood
Designs WD21200 Step-Up-N-Wash
- Jonti-Craft
0552JC JontiCraft UpnDown Steps Kids Step Stool
- Kids Step Stool
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Horseback Riding at Home
Project n
-
Background: The non-profit
organization, Ability Production, provides services, information, and resources
for individuals and their support communities who want to maximize their health
and quality of life for those managing their spinal cord injuries as well as
those experiencing MS, Parkinsons, or recovering from a stroke. The research
and experience shared by Ability Production can benefit anyone, with or without
a traumatic injury.
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Horseback riding is an ideal activity for
maximizing and stimulating movement in a "compromised body". The benefits of
hippotherapy include improvements in balance, muscle strength, gait, posture
and symmetry, joint mobility, sensory processing, and motor
planning.
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Problem: Most people are unable to
pursue adaptive riding due to lack of local access, the high cost, their
unfamiliarity with (or fear of) horses, inclement weather, or the difficulty of
traveling to a riding venue.
-
Aim: Explore designs for an
alternative to horseback riding that would provide similar benefits in a home
or clinic environment for people with compromised bodies.
-
Design Criteria: The horseback
riding alternative must:
- be "bouncy", but
stable (limited side-to-side and front-to-back movements)
- include support
"handles" for additional rider stability
- accommodate the
project suggestor, but consider designs to adapt the design for a range of
rider's sizes and abilities
- be portable through
its ability to be disassembled, transported, and reassembled
- allow rider access
from the side and rear
- accommodate riders
who would mount and dismount from/to a wheelchair
-
Design Suggestion: Explore "Peanut
Physioballs" as a seating alternative. They feature a unique design which
limits movement along one axis to create a more stable, reliable, and
consistent motion during use. Their round shape is advertised to provide
rolling movements that engage the body's core muscles and deliver a safe,
effective workout. The physioball allows up-and-down, side-to-side,
forward-and-back, and diagonal movements that stimulate the neurological
system; provide massage for the legs, gluts, and pelvic floor; improve postural
alignment; and engage lymphatic movement.
-
Other:
- Links:
- Ability Production
- Hippotherapy
for People with Disabilities
- American Hippotherapy
Association
- Physioball links:
- Balls 'n' Bands -
PhysioRoll
Peanut Ball
- Therapro -
Physio
Rolls (AKA Deluxe Peanut Balls)
- Walmart -
Sportime
Physio-Roll Exercise Ball
- Special Needs Toys -
Peanut
Balls
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Music Project for Mrs
N n
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Background: Mrs N is an older
adult residing in Silverado Senior Living in Belmont Hills, CA. She enjoys
living at the facility and is able to get around independently within the
facility using a walker. While she has a quick wit and happy disposition, she
experiences cognitive issues which impact her daily life.
-
Problem: Due to these cognitive
issues, Mrs N is unable to manage her music CDs or operate her CD player to
listen to them.
-
Aim: Explore design concepts that
would enable Mrs N to independently select, play, and enjoy her favorite music
- Beethoven - as this would greatly improve her quality of
life.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be extremely easy for Mrs N to operate in her home without assistance. The
interface must be simple and uncomplicated. The design must be able to play the
music she has already purchased.
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Other:
- Links:
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Accessible Stroller for a
Wheelchair-Using Parent
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Problem: Parents who are
wheelchair users have many challenges with the care of their newborns and
infants. In particular, there are difficulties transporting the child as a
traditional stroller would be difficult to manage for a wheelchair
user.
-
Aim: Explore design concepts for
an accessible stroller or a device that would offer similar
features.
-
Design criteria: The design
should:
- provide a safe environment for the
child
- be easy for the parent to
independently attach and detach a device to his/her wheelchair while in the
wheelchair
- employ mechanisms that are easy to use
by a parent with limited hand dexterity and inoperable by the child
- provide good forward
visibility
- accommodate the child as he/she
grows
- be adaptable to both manual and power
wheelchairs
-
Other:
- Links:
- Cursum
Wheelchair Adaptive Stroller (with video 2:59)
- Newborn Carrier
- Wheelchair stroller and
accessible crib (video - start at 1:45)
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Balance
Buddy n
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Background: The Balance Buddy
project has been suggested by Sidekicks Ventures LLC, which is developing a new
line of home assistive products for older adults.
-
Problem: Falls are the single
largest health risk for older adults who live independently. They often have
balance problems requiring an unobtrusive but reliable device for helping them
maintain their balance and footing as they move around their homes.
When older adults begin to have balance
problems, typically between the age of 70 and 85, they often use canes or
walkers to maintain their balance and footing. Current commercial products can
be extremely cumbersome to use in the home. Canes are difficult because they
can be clumsy, topple over frequently, get in the way creating tripping
hazards, and offer limited help for moving easily around small spaces. Walkers,
although they provide steadier and more reliable help, are problematic because
they are large and difficult to maneuver in small spaces and are also
relatively ineffective on stairs. Both canes and walkers have the additional
problem that they often require one or two hands to hold them, which leaves the
user with a limited ability to use his or her hands for tasks in their home.
This problem is compounded when the user needs to carry objects around a room
or from one room to another.
-
Aim: The project goal is to
explore design concepts for an easily managed device to help older adults who
are having balance problems in their homes.
-
Design Criteria: The device
should:
- provide reliable balance help for
people who are unsteady on their feet;
- be able to be set aside without
falling or moving;
- be light-weight and extremely easy to
maneuver;
- be used with just one hand, freeing
hands to the greatest extent possible for necessary tasks around the
home;
- allow the user to carry objects (such
as food) while moving around;
- make the user feel more confident and
comfortable in their home compared to current commercially available canes or
walkers;
- be easy to get into and out
of;
- provide stability while getting out
of a bed, a chair, or off the toilet;
- encourage its use.
-
Future Plans: The design needs to
be lightweight and relatively affordable to manufacture. It can employ
commercially available components or be an original design. Eventually the
device will feature an industrial design compatible with a broader line of home
assistive products, but for this project, the goal is to develop and test a
functional prototype for a new type of balance aid. As mentioned above, it
needs to roll or stand independently so that it doesn’t fall, or,
alternatively, be able to moved nearby where it can remain easily accessible
but not in the way of activity.
-
Other:
The project suggestor is available to facilitate user testing.
- Links:
- HurryCane
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Prosthetics / Orthotics
Projects n
- Quick disconnect system for
lower extremity prosthesis
-
Problem: Many users of lower
extremity prosthetesis have difficulty sitting in smaller spaces, especially if
there is limited range of motion of the remaining joints or other
issues.
-
Aim: The goal of this project
is to design a quick disconnect device that is strong, very thin, and
applicable to various types of prosthetic devices such that the components of a
prosthesis can be removed or detached for more comfortable sitting without
having to actually take the entire prosthesis off.
- Prosthesis sensor notification
system
-
Problem: Maintaining the fit
of a prosthesis through out the day can be difficult for some people that have
fluctuating edema of their limb. Pressure on the limb from walking will often
change the volume of the limb such that the addition of a sock is necessary to
compensate for the those changes. Some people have significant difficulty
knowing when to add a sock due to decreased sensation in the limb, This can
lead to problems with fit and function.
-
Aim: The goal of this project
is to design a simple pressure sensor system, to fit unobtrusively inside a
prosthetic device, to alert the user when it is time to add a
sock.
-
- Other:
-
- Links:
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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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Pooper scooper for canine
companions of wheelchair users
-
Problem: Wheelchair users who walk
their dogs need to clean up after them. Limited hand / arm strength and reduced
mobility can affect the dog owner's ability to successfully perform both the
collection and bagging portions of this task.
-
Aim: Explore designs for a pooper
scooper system that will be easy for pet owners with a disability to
use.
-
Design Criteria: The improved
scooper design can employ commercially available components, but must be simple
in design, lightweight, convenient to store on the wheelchair, easy to use by
pet owners with limited hand / arm movement, and inexpensive to
fabricate.
-
Other:
- Links:
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Creative Expression
-
Background: Most everyone has a
need and 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 often 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"
- Use non-traditional inputs such as
residual movements or brain waves
-
Other:
- Links:
- Chris Chafe - Director of
CCRMA
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Designing Your Afterlife
-
Background: Death is the most
severe form of disability as one is no longer able interact with people or
physical objects in the living world. What remains are only static artifacts -
images, writings, and the recollections of others. Gone are one's personality,
beliefs, expertise, humor, vision, memories, insights, and
intellect.
-
Problem: With one's death, it is
impossible to provide a full and accurate representation of who 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:
- Links:
- Virtual
reality app claims to reunite users with deceased loved ones
- SimCoach
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Project employing the Microsoft
Kinect Controller
-
Background: Kinect is a 3D motion
sensing input device designed for the Xbox 360 video game console and Windows
PCs. It enables users to control and interact with computers wirelessly and
hands-free, through a natural user interface using full body gestures and
spoken commands.
-
Aim: Explore an application for a
person with a disability using the Kinect Controller product. Examples include
enhanced computer control and accessibility for those with limited manipulation
abilities, physical therapy coach, control of household appliances (lights, TV,
music system), operation of Bluetooth devices (iPhone), and implementation of
an on-screen keyboard.
-
Design Criteria: The device should
be appropriate for the user's abilities and be simple to configure and
use.
-
Other:
- Links:
- Kinect for Xbox 360
- Gesture-Based Design
Engineering ( with video 3:27)
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Project employing the Leap Motion
Controller
-
Background: The Leap Motion
Controller senses and tracks the movement of hands and fingers in 3D: pointing,
waving, reaching, and grabbing. Advertised applications for this USB device
include control of a computer to: browse the web, read articles, flip through
photos, play music, draw, paint, design, play video games, and create
music.
-
Aim: Explore an application for a
person with a disability using the Leap Motion Controller product. Examples
include enhanced computer control and accessibility for those with limited
manipulation abilities, physical therapy coach, control of household appliances
(lights, TV, music system), operation of Bluetooth devices (iPhone), and
implementation of an on-screen keyboard.
-
Design Criteria: The device should
be appropriate for the user's abilities and be simple to configure and
use.
-
Other:
- Links:
- Leap Motion
- Leap Motion
Controller
- V2 Tracking Software
- Leap Motion
forums
- Gesture-Based Design
Engineering (with video 3:27)
-
- Applications:
- Four
Deaf Students Launch a Revolutionary Way To Communicate -
MotionSavvy
- Helping People
with Disability and Parkinsons Disease (video 5:00 in Spanish)
- Tiny
Device, Huge Potential: How Leap Motion Will Change Computing
- Using
the Leap Motion to enhance software accessibility
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Enhanced bed control for veterans
with spinal cord injury
-
Background: Veterans with spinal
cord injury at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System use electric beds equipped
with a pendant that controls their operation: head up/down, bed up/down, and
foot up/down.
-
Problem: The buttons on the
controller are difficult to activate as they are concave and require
considerable pressure.
-
Aim: Explore solutions that would
enable veterans to more easily operate their beds, including voice
activation.
-
Design Criteria: Solutions could
consist of a replacement bed control pendant or an overlay to the existing
pendant.
-
Other:
- Links:
- Bed manufacturer
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Enhanced access to touch screen
devices
-
Background: Touch screen devices -
tablets, phones, kiosks, and computers - are becoming increasingly popular in
everyday life, from personally-owned devices to those found in stores and
polling places.
-
Problem: Many people with limited
hand control have trouble getting their touch screen device to accept their
'tap' or interpret their gestures correctly. Sometimes the problem is caused by
dry hands or fingers, but more often it's related to a user's mild fine motor
problems. In one situation, this issue causes them to unintentionally slide
their finger across the screen when they desire to tap, resulting in the touch
screen device misreading this action as a swipe. Or they may inadvertently hold
their finger on the selection too long, leading to misinterpretation as a
precursor to selecting or copying a block of text.
-
Aim: Explore ideas that would
enable users to make their selections more accurately on their personal touch
screen devices.
-
Design Criteria: The solution
should be an external adapter that can be used with an unmodified touch screen
device. Light weight, low cost, and compact size are key
features.
-
- Links:
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Magical Bridge Playground
Project n
-
Background: Magical Bridge is
building the nation's first fully accessible and socially inclusive playground
designed specifically for children with disabilities as well as children of
parents who have a disability.
-
The City of Palo Alto has 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. The
playground will be adjacent to Abilities United and close to the
soon-to-be-built Mitchell Park Library.
-
Problem: Although most of the
park's design has been drafted, some aspects of the play areas could be
modified for better access. Replacement play areas are sought to update the
park with fresh attractions every few years.
-
Aim: Explore designs to address
the following issues, creating a safe, fun, accessible, and inclusive park
serving all children and their parents.
-
-
to enable a child using a wheelchair to move between
levels in the two-story playhouse
-
to speed up the flow of kids on the slide:
- design an attachment to
accommodate kids who can't get off the slide quickly or
- explore ways to permit parents to
assist their kids at both the top and bottom of the slide
-
to offer a new and innovative play and educational
experience incorporating multiple senses, actions, and outcomes that is
inclusive for kids with a disability
-
to provide signage appropriate to playground users with
visual impairments
-
Design Criteria: Designs should be
safe for everyone.
-
Other Information: Students will
build and test a scaled prototype of their design.
-
- Links:
- Magical Bridge Playground
- CreARTE:
Art through the Fingertips
- Children
Power Playground Toys
- Fingerspelling
Alphabet
- Melo Sense Autism
Sensory Wall
- Creating
an automated art installation that runs like clockwork -
videos
- Interactive
Music Technology Shows Promise in Healthcare
- The
Rotary Club of San Jose is building a 4.1-acre play area that will be
accessible to all, regardless of age or abilities
- Rotary Playground
- Treequencer
-
photos
- video
- Skoog Music
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Guide Robot for the
Blind
-
Background: Intellisight is
developing a system for guiding people who are blind and visually impaired
along a clear path. The design uses Lidar-type radar to sense the presence of
obstacles or other terrain features and warn the user.
-
Problem: Current orientation and
mobility solutions for individuals with visual impairments or blindness include
the Long Cane, guide dogs, Mowat Sensor, Trekker, and Mini Guide. While they
provide basic information suitable for getting around, they do not provide much
detail about the nearby environment.
-
A guide robot is under construction that
will provide a blind traveler with information beyond what is available with
current solutions. Intellisight is tackling the following portions of the
project: wheels, motors, motor controllers, power system, sensor array, and
computer hardware and software systems.
- The completed prototype will be able to
detect a clear path and provide object avoidance information as well as
detailed information about the local environment. It will be able to scan the
interior of a building to determine its room layout and employ GPS
information.
-
Aim: Build a user-interface that
facilitates the communication between the robot and the user as well as the
platform that supports the motorized computerized robot device.
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Projects suggested by Aman
Kumar
1. Retinal Detachment
- Aim: Design a prototype device or
app for communicating and visualizing the symptoms of retinal
detachment
2. Stuttering
- Aim: Design a prototype device or
app that addresses one of these problems experienced by stutterers:
-
-
assist health care professionals in
assessing the effects of therapy
-
provide audio feedback of stutterers
speech and video feedback of muscle disruptions that accompany
stuttering
-
connect health care professionals
with stutterers living in rural areas to provide care and
therapy
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Customize the Wheelchair, Scooter,
Walker Project n
-
US Market Size Background for
Wheelchairs:
-
- About 2 million manual wheelchairs are
in use today.
- 60% of manual wheelchairs (1.2
million) are used by individuals 65 and older.
- Wheelchair use by individuals 65 and
older is five times greater than the entire population.
- The number of citizens 65 and older is
expected to grow from 40 million in 2010 to 55 million in 2020, requiring an
additional 450,000 manual wheelchairs.
- 80 million baby boomers started
turning 65 this year (10,000 a day).
-
Problem: Individuals who use
wheelchairs, scooters, or walkers have little opportunity to extend their
personal sense of fashion and aesthetics to these devices. This is exacerbated
by the fact that the equipment covered by health insurance or Medicare is often
the most "basic" version with a plain design. Whereas one's choice of clothes,
shoes, accessories, and jewelry are made on a daily basis, users of these
devices have to "wear" the same equipment everyday and for every
occasion.
-
Aim: Explore ways to add a
personal aesthetic to wheelchairs, scooters, or walkers
|
Design Criteria: |
|
- The design should not alter or
permanently deface or damage the physical structure of the wheelchair, scooter,
or walker.
- The customization should be able to
easily be installed, removed, changed, cleaned, and washed by the
user.
- The design should work on a number
of popular / standard wheelchairs, scoother, or walkers covered by insurance
and Medicare.
- Consider different user personas and
aesthetics (e.g. refined / elegant, modern / contemporary, smart / sporty,
premium / luxury, male / female, as well as the age of user, etc).
- Consider fabrics, metal finishes,
colors, patterns, lights, textures, and text elements.
- Consider a variety of usage
occasions (e.g. in-home, outdoors, party, tailgater, etc).
- The design should be inexpensive and
easy to fabricate.
- Also consider designs that would
enhance wheelchair, scooter, or walker visibility while crossing
streets.
|
- Links:
- Design
Flair for the Least-Stylish Devices
- Icon Wheelchairs
- Amazing
Halloween Costumes around a Wheelchair
|
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Dog Leash Project
-
Problem: Wheelchair users who walk
their dogs need their hands to both control their pets and propel their
wheelchairs. A leash that is simply tied to the wheelchair can get caught under
the wheels and interfere with the brake mechanism. And a strong dog may be able
to tip the owner's wheelchair.
- Users of rollators (walkers) also
experience similar problems.
-
Aim: Explore designs for a dog
leash system that will be easy for users to attach to their wheelchairs or
rollators independently, prevent the leash from being caught under the
wheelchair or rollator, and avoid being tipped over by a strong
dog.
-
Design Criteria: The improved
leash design can employ commercially available components, but must be simple
in design, lightweight, easy to attach by pet owners with limited hand
movement, provide a reliable release, and be inexpensive to
fabricate.
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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: The goal of this project is
to explore and create devices 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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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: The aim of this project is to
explore and design a solution 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, easy and safe to use while
performing the cleaning task. The design will depend on the user's
abilities.
- Links:
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Educational Activities for Children
with Disabilities
-
Background: Resource Area for
Teaching (RAFT) creates hands-on activity kits which nine thousand educators
use to help nearly one million students master important concepts in school and
after school each year.
-
A large percentage of the students these
educators serve have disabilities (physical, mental, or emotional). RAFT is
particularly popular with these educators because our hands-on activities often
seem to "open up" disabled students and get them excited about learning and
participating.
-
Problem: Special education
teachers report that they often wish there were more activities focused on
children with disabilities.
-
Aim: Investigate and develop new
educational activities appropriate for children with disabilities. This may
include mechanical and/or computer software solutions that will provide
interactive access for these learners.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be appropriate for the intellectual and disability level of the students; must
be very low cost; safe to use; easy to store, setup, explain, use, and ship;
and must fit into the students' educational plan.
-
Other: Access to teachers and
students will be provided.
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Student-defined Team
Projects
- 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.
-
-
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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Projects for persons recovering
from stroke
Standing Straight
Project
-
Problem: Persons recovering from
stroke (CVA) often have a significant shift in their perceived center of
gravity. This causes them to shift their weight to their unaffected side, with
their head and / or trunk at a 20 degree angle, even though they think they are
sitting or standing straight. This has a significant negative effect on the
tone of their affected limbs, causing them to become more
spastic.
-
Aim: The goal of this project is
to develop a dynamic device that would aid the person to realize their true
center thus enabling better rehabilitation of their limbs.
-
Other: A similar device could be
used for people recovering from back injury, alerting them when they bend at
the back rather than keeping it straight during lifting.
Cellphone and Tablet
Holder
-
Aim: Explore designs for a device
that would make it easier to hold and use cellphone and tablets with one hand.
This would serve individuals who have had a stroke, who have arthritis,
cerebral palsy, or are amputees.
Activities of Daily
Living
-
Aim: Explore designs for devices
that would help persons who have had a stroke, who have arthritis, cerebral
palsy, have limited arm or hand strength, or are amputees to perform activities
of daily living such as cooking, cleaning, or other common household
tasks.
- Links:
- Tablet Design - UC
Ergonomics
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Other project ideas
- Project Coach:
- David L. Jaffe, MS
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Individual Projects
Projects listed in this
section are suitable as individual projects rather than team
projects.
Students working on an individual project
must meet with the course instructor to discuss and agree upon the specifics of
the project. Also see Required Course and
Individual Project Activities.
General Individual
Projects n
Focus on one of these activities that relates
to or would potentially benefit an older adult or individual with a
disability:
-
Research an assistive technology
topic - report on new products and research under
development.
-
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.
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Individual Projects Suggested by
the Ideation Workshop Senior User Insights Panel n
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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Individual Projects with Veterans
with Spinal Cord Injury
1. Problems and needs expressed at
SCI Peer Support Group Meeting
- Manipulating objects:
- picking up dropped items, especially from
under tables or chairs
- reaching items high on shelves
- carrying items such as papers and
groceries
- retrieving mail from mailbox
- BBQ implements
- handling a bank card at an ATM
- handling money - both coins and
bills
- Accessing the
real-world:
- charging system for powered wheelchair
users
- iPhone camera mount for a photographer
with C5/6 quadriplegia
- opening doors
- opening a 2-liter bottle
- preparing food and cooking tasks,
including making sandwiches and heating soup
- controlling appliances such as the TV,
telephone, electric bed, music system, nurse call, etc.
- HouseMate ECU for Android
Configurator
- VoiceIR Environmental Voice
Controller Configurator
- transferring to / from wheelchair to bed
or shower
- tele-visiting / tele-working with family /
co-workers at home/office during hospital stay
- selecting groceries remotely for
delivery
- design for an arm ergometer that would
allow users to strap themselves in
- a joystick design that would accommodate a
variety of shaft geometries
- a cup holder that can fit on any
wheelchair
- Recreational
activities:
- Caregiver (family, nurse, and
therapist) assistance:
2. Fishing rod, wheelchair
brackets, accessible digital camera, lap tray system
- A device to operate a fishing rod for a
user without use of upper extremity - to reel the line in/out, lock the reel,
etc
- some existing
products from Broadened Horizons
- A bracket design for new power wheelchairs
that would allow use of an overhead sling system
- A bracket system for power wheelchairs
that would work with a mobile arm support system
- A device that would allow a high level
quadriplegia (C4) to use a digital camera. It need not be able to adjust
position of camera, but it should include a feature to snap a photo for users
with diminished hand function.
- some existing
products from Broadened Horizons
- A lap tray system that is compatible with
the new wheelchair designs
- Links:
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Specific Individual
Projects n
1. Electric Scooter Design Concept
Project
- Aim: Explore a CAD design or a
low-resolution prototype of a three or four wheeled electric scooter which is
fun to use and aesthetically appealing for people who need mobility help and
don't want the standard stuff that looks institutional, medical, etc. A
commercial product based on the design must be reasonably priced - less than
$2000.
2. Fix Adapted Walker for a User
Recovering from Stroke
- Background: An design that
permitted a user with a weakness on one side of his body to more easily steer
and push his walker was built in the Spring Quarter of ME113 in 2014. Here is
the project description.
-
Aim: Explore solutions to fix the
adaptation - the center handle no longer fits securely in the frame, possibly
as a result of wear.
3. Accessibility Survey
-
Aim: Perform an accessibility
survey and analysis of a new Stanford building. (This project might best be
accomplished by two students performing surveys of two buildings - one doing
the measuring, the other recording and swapping roles between
buildings.)
4. Customize the Cane
-
Aim: Explore ways to add a
personal aesthetic to a cane
5. Emergency
Response n
-
Aim: Explore design concepts to
facilitate the protection, detection, and evacuation of people with
disabilities and older adults during and subsequent to an emergency event such
as an earthquake, flood, fire, or power outage
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Other Individual
Projects n
- Accessible interfaces for
commonly-used devices:
- iPods / iPads / mp3
players
- Cellphones
- Remote controls
-
- Toys for kids with
disabilities
-
- Projects benefitting children
with Autism
-
- Projects benefitting parents
with disabilities
-
- Projects supporting equal access
to extracurricular sports activities for students with disabilities
-
- Revisit projects listed in NSF
guide:
- Engineering Senior Design Projects to
Aid Persons with Disabilities
-
- Student-defined Individual
Projects: n
- 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.
-
-
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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top |
