Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons with Disabilities

该奖项将支持托莱多大学（UT）机械、工业和制造工程系（MIME）的高年级学生为大托莱多能力中心（ACT）确定的残疾人设计和制造定制设备。ACT是一个非营利性的独立生活中心，其使命是帮助残疾人在社区生活、工作和社交。作为培训和教育的一部分，德州大学的高级工程专业学生需要完成一门名为高级设计项目的顶级设计课程。在本课程中，学生设计，构建和测试一个原始的或定制修改的设备，以满足客户指定的目标。美国国家科学基金会将为设计项目提供物资、设备和制造费用。每年将完成10个项目，并将这些项目的书面报告提交给美国国家科学基金会年度书籍《帮助残疾人的工程高级设计项目》。在每学期结束时，学生们会在期末报告中展示他们制作的原型。当地媒体包括电视、广播和报纸都报道了这次活动。社区领袖、卫生保健提供者代表、残疾人及其家庭、高中教师、当地专业协会成员和德克萨斯大学社区参加了这次博览会。这些活动为大学预科教师、年轻人和其他非科学家公众提供了接触科学和技术的机会，从而促进和影响教育和人力资源。

0625023HefzyThis award will support senior students from the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (MIME) at The University of Toledo (UT) to design and fabricate custom-made devices for persons with disabilities identified by the Ability Center of Greater Toledo (ACT). The ACT is a non-profit center for independent living with a mission to assist people with disabilities to live, to work, and to socialize in the community.As part of their training and education, senior engineering students at UT are required to complete one capstone design course called Senior Design Projects. During this course, students design, construct and test an original or a custom-modified device to meet objectives specified by a customer. National Science Foundation funds will support the acquisition of supplies, equipment and fabrication costs for the design projects. Ten projects per year are to be completed and written reports on those projects will be submitted for annual publication in the yearly NSF book for Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons with Disabilities. At the end of each semester, an exposition will display the prototypes built by the students along with final presentations. This event is covered by the local Media and includes television, radio and newspapers. Community leaders, health care providers' representatives, persons with disabilities and their families, high school teachers, local professional society members, and the UT community attend this exposition. These activities provide exposure to science and technology for pre-college teachers, young people, and other non-scientist members of the public, thus contributing to and impacting education and human resources.