Industrial Capstone Senior Design Spring Showcase

Sponsor: American Training

Project Description: American Training, a local foundation in Lowell, MA, provides computer training classes to those with various cognitive, physical, and sensory impairments. As their current equipment has proven to be inefficient for many, they have requested an assistive technology device to aid its residents in learning how to use a computer, specifically in terms of an alternative to the traditional keyboard and mouse. The overarching challenge of this project is to design a single computer entry system in a way that adapts to multiple users of varying intellectual, sensory, and motor abilities, with the primary impairment being that the users have only one arm available for free use. As such, the team has developed a universal and simplified keyboard and mouse system, which includes various features and enhancements that address the most common frustrations its differently abled users face.

Mentor: Wai Tang, Alumnus

Sponsor: Seven Hills Foundation

Project Description: Participants at the Seven Hill Foundation in Worcester have vision and hearing impairments which affect their ability to navigate the facility without risk of injury. It is desirable to improve awareness as they are navigating through hallways. A system is being implemented that, using sensors and prominent visual cues, should reduce the amount of collisions that occur in the hallways amongst the visually and hearing-impaired clientele.

Mentor: Joseph Cullen, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsor: Needs Center

Project Description: The NEEDS Center is an organization that has Community Based Day Support (CBDS) programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The NEEDS Center incorporates principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavior Support (PSB) for individuals that are twenty-two years of age or older. The Floor balancing activity will provide a motivational means to physically and mentally engage participants in exercise. To accomplish this engagement, an interactive floor could be utilized in addition to an audio-visual system.

Mentor: Rachel Wakim, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsor: Bridgewell

Project Description: Bridgewell is a non-profit organization that provides social services to individuals with disabilities and brain developing conditions that fall under the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The team of engineering students from UMass Lowell are working with Bridgewell to create a simple device that will allow their clientele to understand the concept of time. The proposed solution to this problem is a Visual Timer, where a 2-dimensional colored LED array is used to help display the passage of time. 

Mentor: John Palma, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsor: NEEDS Center

Project Description: The NEEDS Center provides support, education and training to individuals with developmental disabilities. They requested a Plinko game where the user will have to place a small object into the top of the game and the game will respond with audio and visual cues as to where the object lands. Users will develop fine motor skills and staff will have the opportunity to expand the exercise into learning about shapes, colors and money.  

Mentor: Aristoltelis Casternopoulos, Electrical and Computer Engineering alumnus

Sponsor: NEEDS Center

Project Description: The NEEDS Center provides support, education and training to individuals with developmental disabilities. The center requested a whack a mole arcade devide to help motivate their clients to participate in physical activities. The solution will use pneumatic actuators to move the moles, and LED display to provide feedback and an Arduino to control the entire system. The game will be tailored to suit the unique needs of its users. 

Mentor: John Palma, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsor: American Training Incorporated (ATI)

Project Description: American Training Incorporated’s primary goal is to give their clients who have mental and physical challenges a supportive and healthy environment. Exercising can improve their client’s health conditions but the clients have low motivation to exercise. The project is a modified stationary bike which will encourage and motivate the clients to exercise. The bike will play a video while the user is pedaling.  A raspberry pi combined with a rotational senor will form the heart of the system.

Mentor: Leith Namou, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering