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ATLAS

Assistive
Technology 
Laboratory
at
Stanford
 
 
Technology and design benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the local community
 February 24, 2016    
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

This issue invites you to attend the next class lecture.

Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - now in its tenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. The schedule consists of semi-weekly classroom discussions; lectures by notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; tours of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; an assistive technology faire; and a film screening.

Next class session - Thursday, February 25th at 4:30pm

photo of Sha Yao

photo of Jules Sherman

From Idea to Market: Eatwell, Assistive Tableware for Persons with Cognitive Impairments
Sha Yao
Sha Yao Design

Aesthetics Matter in Assistive Technologies
Jules Sherman
Jules Sherman Design

Sha Yao's Abstract: "Inspired by my late grandmother who had Alzheimer's Disease, I created Eatwell, a tableware set to help people with cognitive impairments increase their food intake. After years of research and development, the Eatwell set won first place in the 2014 Stanford Design Challenge in a competition with 52 other teams from 15 countries, and has continued to receive extremely positive feedback from caregivers from different states across the country, and even internationally. I will share my story about my efforts working on the project, the design process I used, the challenges I faced, my experience during the design competition, the latest update on my goal to bring Eatwell to market, and my future plans for the product."

Sha Yao's Biosketch: Sha Yao is a passionate Industrial Designer who likes to challenge herself. She has a diverse background, and speaks English, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. She started a product design studio and helps startup companies to develop their product ideas, and especially loves to create projects to help people in need. Her well-rounded portfolio includes projects ranging from web-design to packaging and from furniture to ukuleles. Inspired by her late grandmother, she developed a 9-piece tableware set for people with cognitive impairments. She is currently working on bringing her award-winning tableware set to market.

Jules Sherman's Abstract: "Most of us have choices when it comes to choosing our clothes and accessories. Assistive technologies should offer aesthetic choice as well because this directly affects what I call the 'delight factor' and therefore, usability and compliance. There are creative ways to make using a product more enjoyable for someone through design, personalization, and/or unobtrusive technology. I will show some assistive technology products I have worked on that incorporate aesthetics as a core value in the design. I will also cite additional examples of products that successfully alter user perceptions and usability through design."

Jules Sherman's Biosketch: Jules Sherman is a designer and entrepreneur who is passionate about designing human-centered products that improve quality of life. Jules holds an MFA from the Stanford Graduate Design Program. As a product designer, she is particularly interested in improving the aesthetics and usability of assistive technology. Jules is currently working on a lactation support device for moms with premature infants and a new piece of operating room equipment that supports delayed cord-clamping and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) resuscitation during a premature C-section birth. Jules is co-teaching a Stanford d. School course, Designing for Safety in Labor & Delivery in the Winter Quarter 2016.

Suggest a project - Good assistive technology project suggestions are sought for Stanford's Mechanical Engineering capstone course (ME113) for the upcoming Spring Quarter. Your suggestions should be based on an observation or experience of a real challenge faced by individuals with a disability or older adults.

Projects will involve the design and fabrication of a functional solution to the problem, as well as student team presentations and reports.

This is a great opportunity for individuals, organizations, or companies to interact with teams of talented, enthusiastic seniors, benefit from their fresh perspective, and gain access to university expertise and resources. Students benefit by having the opportunity to apply their studies of solid and fluid mechanics, manufacturing, and mechanical design to a real world problem.

Your first step is to visit the Project Solicitation webpage for a list of project requirements and a description of how best to convey your ideas. If your suggestion is accepted, you will have the opportunity to offer the student team advice, direction, and expertise in person or by phone and/or email.

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Attend a lecture - Course lectures will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:50pm and are open to the greater Stanford community. You are most welcome to sit in on class sessions that interest you. You need not be a Stanford student and there is no required signup, enrollment, or charge. The class will meet in a large, tiered, accessible classroom on campus in the Thornton Center, adjacent to the Terman Fountain and near the Roble Gym, the same venue as last year. Here are the parking options, maps, and directions to the classroom.

 clip art of a lecture

Did you miss a lecture? - Course lectures are posted on YouTube. To find the links, browse to the Lecture Schedule webpage, scroll down and click on the lecture of interest. Near the bottom of the page you will see the Lecture Material section which has links to the slides, photos, weblinks, and lecture video.

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Upcoming class sessions:

Would you like to 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 Team Project Support webpage for more information.

Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion? - If you have general questions, comments, or suggestions about the course, David L. Jaffe, MS, the instructor, can be reached by email or at 650/892-4464. Thank you again for your interest in the course.

Dave

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