Development of a Lecture- and Project-Based Community Assistive Technology Subject

Principal Investigator
Prof. Seth Teller, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Prof. Nicholas Roy, Aeronautics and Astronautics
Fund: Alumni Class Funds
Funding Period: AY2012
Department/Lab/Center: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Project Website: http://courses.csail.mit.edu/PPAT/fall2011/projects.html

Prof. Teller and Prof. Roy will design and develop a new subject, primarily for undergraduates, focused on assistive technology (AT). The subject will have a lecture component covering many aspects of AT, and a project component in which small teams of students will identify an individual within the local community with a need for AT, and work with that individual to understand the need and develop a prototype assistive device. Both staff and students will network extensively with local AT entities such as user groups, commercial firms, and government organizations to help understand needs, define projects, and evaluate progress.