Collaborations
We will be publishing information about our collaborations on this page - so please come again and check out some of our featured partnerships and collaborative activities. This month's highlight is on a collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Stout, in designing and fabricating an accessible science laboratory station for use by persons with disabilities.
University of Wisconsin Madison ARTe Design
ARTe Design (Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology Design) is a unique section of the Capstone Design activity in Mechanical Engineering. The students in ARTe Design create devices and systems to assist people with disabilities in living independently.
Accessible Science Lab Station
The Midwest Alliance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics is a partner in a private/public partnership with the goal of designing, testing, and manufacturing a science lab workstation that meets Universal Design Standards. The purpose of the partnership is to create a science lab workstation that is accessible to a broad array of students with disabilities, as well as to 90+ percent of the general population. Other partners in the project include The University of Wisconsin-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute, The WiSys Prototype Development Fund, and Spectrum Industries, Inc.
The project was broken down into three segments including research, design, and prototype development and manufacturing. To date, the research phase of the project has been completed and the design phase is well under way. Specific activities that have been completed include: exhaustive research through internet searches, statewide tours of science training facilities, and interviews with science educators; creation of a design team that includes two UW-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation staff members, three senior design students from UW-Stout, and a senior design engineer from Spectrum Industries; identification of the features, functionalities, and design criteria for the accessible science lab station; and the development of 25 drawings/renderings that incorporate the vast majority of the identified criteria.
The next phase of the project is to share the designs/renderings with educators and scientists to get their reactions and input. This phase of the project is scheduled for completion by June 2008. The information gathered will be used to guide the development of a single accessible science work station design that Spectrum Industries will follow for prototype development. Current plans are to have a working prototype available for testing by the end of 2008.
Center for Promoting STEM
The Center for Promoting STEM is located in the Chicago area of Illinois.
For more information please visit their website by clicking here:
Center for Promoting STEM.
For more information about Midwest's collaborations, please contact Amy Fruchtman, Project Manager, at afruchtm@wisc.edu.
