Cumnock Hall auditorium was packed—that was the first impression for visitors to the annual Assistive Technology Design Fair. Step into the crowd, though, and each project on display told a compelling story of someone in need and young people who turned creative energy and sustained effort into meeting that need.

The Design Fair is sponsored by the Francis College of Engineering and led by Douglas Prime, director of K-12 educational outreach for the college. In four years, it has grown from a few teams at two nearby schools, to more than 100 students from a dozen schools across the state.

“The quality of ideas and choice of projects just keep getting better and better,” says Prime, whose own enthusiasm seems boundless. “Did you see the mobility rocker? The Swampscott team created this modified skateboard with a pivot device that fits on a wheelchair for a boy with muscle spasticity; he can push down to exercise. They solved the problem, and it’s beautifully produced and cool looking.”

Another standout was “Open Sesame,” an automatic door opener that a young boy in a wheelchair can use to enter his home by himself, after school. Just two students worked as a team to create the device—now installed and working perfectly.

Students from Swampscott High School with a Mobility Rocker exercising device

The program begins with an introductory event in January, led by Prime and faculty and staff in the Assistive Technology Program. Participants gain an overview of the design process: the brainstorming of ideas, the evaluation of designs, the problem solving and trouble shooting. This year, senior engineering majors demonstrated an innovative wheelchair that can change seat heights.

After the teams submit their problem statements and begin working, the next milestone is the design review. Working engineers from M/A-COM (a division of Tyco Electronics) and from Teradyne volunteered to visit the participating schools and conduct reviews, a process that “the students found tremendously helpful,” says Prime. “They had to present and defend their solutions; it was a real engineering review.”

Prime notes that the teams are organized in a variety of ways, from volunteer after school programs to being fully integrated into the class curriculum.

A team from Fitchburg was all volunteers, mostly physics students, who met after school to design a brightly-lit reading magnifier for a woman who has lost some of her eyesight as a result of a brain tumor. “They went through many iterations,” says Prime, “and created this beautiful, slim line product. The small magnifying bar is backlit with LEDs, and includes a feature to help her focus on one line of text at a time and to keep her place. Their product worked perfectly and was so professionally done that it looked like something you would buy in a store.”

Another spectacular effort used a different approach. The Whittier Regional Technical High School team of 17 students worked within an electronics course, collaborating with other course areas, such as CAD and machining. They designed and produced a locker remote control for a student with cerebral palsy, so that she could get into her locker as quickly as other students, who have more dexterity. “Every part of the project connected to the curriculum,” says Prime.

Besides being a source of great satisfaction for the students and their coaches, the Design Fair is attracting corporate and University support. This year’s sponsors were the Tyco Electronics Foundation, 3M Touch Systems and Philips Medical Systems, as well as the College of Engineering. In addition, Dean John Ting has established a Dean’s Scholarship for entering freshmen who have participated in the program: a four-year renewable grant at $2,000 annually.