Undergraduate Design Projects for Developing Assistive Technology for Recreational Applications

圣地亚哥州立大学(SDSU)机械工程系(ME)与教育学院的互通学院(Interwork Institute)、残疾人商人协会(DBA)和美国海洋研究所(AIMS)合作，作为本科高级设计项目课程序列的一部分，在与水上相关的娱乐应用中设计和实施辅助技术。这一伙伴关系的广泛目标是开发技术解决方案，使残障人士能够安全和独立地参与各种水上娱乐活动。南加州州立大学ME项目的大四本科生被要求在他们的最后两个学期中以小组形式参与一个受赞助的设计项目。每学期将有五个项目侧重于改善特定残疾人参与特定娱乐活动的机会，主要是帆船运动。此外，通常的团队结构将扩大到包括参加由工程学院和Interwork Institute共同发起的康复技术证书计划的学生，并直接与DBA赞助的“Challenged American”计划中的残疾水手合作，旨在对他们的帆船进行改造，使更多的身体残疾个人能够参与水上娱乐活动。水手和其他身体残疾的运动员最有能力确定对他们的帆船进行必要的改装，并使更广泛的其他身体残疾个人能够参与水上娱乐活动。该项目伙伴关系建立在SDSU教育学院和工程学院在辅助技术领域的成功关系的基础上。每年将组成10个本科生高级设计团队，开发辅助技术，以改善残疾人参与水上娱乐活动的机会。通过将本科生工程师与康复技术项目成员以及残疾用户合作，将采取多学科方法，预计将产生更健壮和有效的设计。这类长期的、基于团队的设计项目是机械工程专业学生学习的顶峰经验，是他们成长为称职的专业工程师的关键部分。

0314095LambertThe Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at San Diego State University (SDSU) has partnered with the Interwork Institute in the College of Education, the Disabled Businesspersons' Association (DBA), and the American Institute of Marine Studies (AIMS) to design and implement assistive technology in aquatic-related recreational applications as part of the undergraduate senior design project course sequence. The broad goal of this partnership is to develop technology solutions to allow physically challenged individuals to safely and independently participate in various aquatic recreational activities. The senior undergraduates in the SDSU ME program are required to work in teams on a sponsored design project during their last two semesters. Five projects each semester are to be focused on improving access to a specific recreational activity, primarily sailing, to specific individuals with disabilities. In addition, the usual team structure is to be expanded to include students enrolled in the Certificate of Rehabilitation Technology program co-sponsored by the College of Engineering and the Interwork Institute, and to work directly with disabled sailors in the "Challenged American" program sponsored by DBA and AIMS to make modifications of their sailboats and enable a broader range of physically challenged individuals to participate in aquatic recreation. The sailors and other athletes with physical disabilities are in the best position to identify necessary modifications of their sailboats and enable a broader range of other physically challenged individuals to participate in aquatic recreation. The project partnership builds on a successful relationship between the SDSU Colleges of Education and Engineering in the area of assistive technology. Ten undergraduate senior design teams are to be formed each year to develop assistive technology to improve access for the disabled to aquatic recreational activities. By teaming the undergraduate engineers with members from the rehabilitation technology program as well as the disabled users, a multidisciplinary approach is pursued that is expected to yield more robust and effective designs. This type of longer-term, team-based design project is the capstone learning experience for mechanical engineering students, providing a critical part of their development into competent professional engineers.