Designing with purpose

For students in Dal’s Engineering program, the first-year design project is an opportunity to test their knowledge and push the boundaries of their creativity. But what’s even more exciting is the opportunity to make a practical difference in the lives of real people.

On December 8, students in the Engineering Design showcased the results of a project that asked them to solve a variety of challenges facing community members living with visual impairment.

Each group of four students drew inspiration from profiles written by a person with visual impairment and selected one aspect of life they would try to improve through the project. The groups applied their design minds to issues ranging from mobility to home appliance use.  

David Idemudia, a first-year student from Nigeria, is part of a group that developed an ultrasonic ranger. “It’s an object that sends soundwaves and receives an echo, and uses that to calculate distance,” David explains.

“We’re going to attach it to the mobility cane, so the person knows when something is close to them.”

David says his group’s project has exposed him to advanced circuit board and computer programming technology. “We’re doing third-year engineering in first year, so it’s fun.”

A personal touch

Along with what he’s learned about engineering, David says the project has taught valuable lessons about time management and working in a team. He also cites the ongoing contact with his visually impaired “clients” as a highlight.

“We pitched them our ideas and they picked one of them,” he says of the client’s role in directing the project. “We gave them four ideas and asked which ones they liked best or found the most interesting.”

David’s classmates Sergio Jaume and Mackenzie Cormack agree that the personal, practical aspect of the project has been rewarding.

“I personally have more motivation to do well for the client, rather than just for a mark on a piece of paper,” says Sergio, whose group has developed stickers that can be placed on home appliances. The stickers, which have braille on them, are designed to make it easier for people with visual impairment to know what cycle or setting the appliance is on.

“You feel like you’re really helping someone and doing something that might actually improve their life in some way,” says Mackenzie.

David, Sergio and Mackenzie, along with the rest of their classmates showed off their creations on Tuesday, December 8 at O’Regan Hall in the Halifax Central Library. All were welcome to view and discuss the projects with the students who produced them.