Welcome to the second edition of the second year of  Perspectives,  the e-newsletter of the Stanford course Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

This newsletter issue updates you of course events and encourages your lecture attendance.

Guest lecturer schedule - The schedule of guest lecturers has been finalized. This year's presenters are a diverse group of notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users. Topics vary from an overview of assistive technology to design challenges to service learning to research studies to device fabrication to wheelchair fabrication in developing countries. See the schedule for the complete list. All lectures are open to the greater Stanford community - you need not be a student to attend.

Students - Enrollment has been very strong again this year considering there is another month before the start of the Winter Quarter. The class so far includes freshmen to third year graduate engineering students as well as several students from non-engineering disciplines.

Class tours - There will be class tour of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System including a lecture by Dr. Graham Creasey, Chief of the Spinal Cord Injury Service and a visit to the Assistive Technology Center.

A second tour will take the class to Willow Garage, makers of advanced robotic systems. In addition to a facilty tour by a PR2 robot and Henry Evans, Steve Cousins, the CEO, will discuss applications of their robots to the needs of people with disabilties and seniors.

The destination for a third tour is the Motion & Gait Analysis Lab where Jessica Rose and Adam Sheppard will discuss and demonstrate gait analysis and describe their functional electrical stimulation research benefitting children with walking problems due to cerebral palsy.

Due to space limitations, these tours are open to enrolled students only.

Classroom - The class is very fortunate to have been assigned a large, tiered, accessible classroom in Building 530, behind the Memorial Church. Here are the parking options, maps, and directions to the classroom.

Student projects and course support - Student teams will choose from a long list of project ideas. Support for student and course expenses in the form of monetary gifts is always welcomed.

First class session - The first class on Tuesday, January 10th will cover an overview of the course and an introduction to assistive technology. All lectures (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:15pm) are open to the public - you are most welcome to attend.

Happy holidays!

Do you have a question or comment? - David L. Jaffe, MS, the course organizer, can be reached by email or at 650/892-4464.