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Ted, an active senior who loves cycling, faces a daily challenge when riding his bike. As a child, he contracted polio, a disease that weakened and shortened his left leg. Now, he struggles to maintain balance when stopping, often tipping over to the left side.

Enter the Tetra Society: a group of Dalhousie Engineering students who dedicate their spare time to designing and building custom devices to assist those with physical disabilities. The team uses their engineering skills to create tangible and meaningful improvements in people’s lives.

Each week, they meet in the Faculty of Engineering’s Makerspace to bring their projects to life. Their current goal is to build a custom cable actuated support wheel, one that will allow him to stop safely.

“This is kind of everything I've wanted to do as an engineer, to create devices that can help humanity,” says Ispeeta Ahmed, a fourth-year Electrical Engineering student and President of the Tetra Society.

Designing with Purpose

While like other student design teams at Dalhousie Engineering that focus on building prototypes, the Tetra Society takes a different approach. Instead of preparing for competitions like other teams, they work on real-world projects assigned by the national Tetra organization and collaborate closely with clients to develop solutions for their unique challenges.

“These solutions often must be personalized to the user to allow them to fully benefit from them. Often, they are not available commercially,” explains Ispeeta. “So, we talk to our clients, come up with a design plan, and then we create the item for them.”

Since April, the team has been working closely with Ted to design a lever-based brake system that stabilizes his bike at low speeds, acting almost like training wheels when needed. Using tools and materials from the Makerspace, the students’ prototype, test, and refine their designs through multiple iterations.

“We’re really grateful for the Makerspace,” says Ispeeta. “It’s not just the equipment, the workers there are helpful and are often engineering students too. They help us come up with designs or, when they see our prototype, provide feedback. Overall, the Makerspace is such a collaborative setting.”

Accessible Play

Ted’s bike isn’t the team’s only project. Earlier this year, they designed a sensory water table to help a young child play with greater independence.

“This baby had cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, was nonverbal, and had a really complex medical history,” explains Ispeeta. “He sits in a tilt wheelchair, and so for sensory play and overall fun, they wanted him to have a water table, but none of the water tables they had were working for him.”

In collaboration with the family and a physical therapist, the Tetra Society designed a simple wooden frame with a custom-cut Pyrex basin. The finished product is now part of the Adapted Equipment Loan Program held in the IWK, allowing other children with similar needs to benefit from it.

“We had a lot of struggles with it. Often, we would make something and then it wouldn’t work,” says Ispeeta, stressing the importance client interaction played in the design process.

“And that's exactly what we learned at Dal Engineering, to make sure that you're always, looking back on the design process, seeing what's wrong and seeing what's not working.”

Engineering Impact

Although the Tetra Society was only officially ratified last year, it has quickly grown from just three members to a team of ten. Ispeeta says she’s proud of what they’ve accomplished so far and excited about what’s ahead, both for the team and for her own future in engineering.

“What Tetra has shown us is that providing independence for anyone is a dignified task. When you provide independence, when you provide autonomy, especially for disabled individuals in our society, you create a better place for everyone. Now Ted can ride a bike, multiple kids can use our water table properly.”

Along with her electrical engineering degree Ispeeta is also completing a certificate in Biomedical Engineering. Set to graduate next year, she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering. In the meantime, she’s focused on ensuring the Tetra Society continues to thrive long after she leaves.

“We’re always looking for more members,” she says. “Especially students looking for hands-on design experience and who want to make a real difference. This is like using engineering as a social justice tool. I feel so empowered to do Tetra, because I’m not just building something, I'm helping someone.”

Vraj Desai (Incoming Fourth Year Mechanical Engineering Students)

Being with Tetra for over a year now has been a valuable learning experience beyond the classroom. Tetra is a non-profit that connects people with disabilities to volunteers who design and build custom assistive devices tailored to their specific needs. As an engineering student, it’s been one of my greatest opportunities to apply what I’ve learned in a way that truly helps others. I’ve gained experience in client communication, problem-solving, and hands-on design. One of the most impactful projects I worked on was the Safety Window System for a young boy with autism. It taught me how to think from the user’s perspective and design with both safety and usability in mind. I also learned the importance of collaboration, working closely with teammates and the client to make sure the final product really worked for their situation. Seeing how much it helped the family made all the effort worth it.

Kaileigh Chiasson (Incoming Second Year Engineering Student: Interested in Mechanical)

Being a member of the Dalhousie branch of Tetra has been the highlight of my first year. I got hands-on experience on the specifics of the engineering profession outside the scope of the classroom. My brother has cerebral palsy, meaning that growing up I was able to see the effects that customized assistive devices can bring. Whether said device be a complex ceiling track system or a simple spoon, independence from case-specific devices can provoke confidence in those living with a disability. This ultimately guided my decision on studying engineering. Having Tetra as an outlet to highlight both my academics and the motivation my brother provides me has truly been a rewarding experience. It has been an opportunity to step back from the rigorous course-load and really make a difference in somebody’s daily living.