Student Design Competition
Sponsored by the
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
On Advancing Cognitive Technologies
Design Assistive Technology for People with Cognitive Disabilities
First Prize $5000
Enter your winning prototype by June 1. 2007
Background
Many individuals with disabilities have challenges in the various activities of daily living. The goal of assistive technology is to provide tools that enable individual with disabilities to more effectively and independently accomplish activities of daily living. There are a large variety of assistive technologies available individuals with physical and sensory disabilities. However, when one considers the challenges for individuals with cognitive disabilities there are very few assistive technology tools available.
On the other hand, while many engineering and computer science students have the knowledge and ability to design and develop innovative software few are aware of the specific needs of persons with cognitive disabilities. The goal of this competition is to “connect the dots” between these two groups in a way that will increase assistive technology tools available to support the activities of daily living for individuals with cognitive disabilities while increasing interest and awareness among engineering and computer science students of the needs of persons with cognitive disabilities.
The design competition is being sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for the Advancement of Cognitive Technologies (RERC-ACT http://www.rerc-act.org funded by the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in cooperation with The Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, http://www.colemaninstitute.org/
Design submissions will be judged by RERC-ACT participants, including persons with disabilities, engineers and computer scientists, cognitive disability specialists and assistive technology vendors.
Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged along two different dimensions. The first dimension is the technical nature of the design, the written design documents, the prototype and other aspects of the design itself. The second dimension is actually the most important and evaluates the expected positive impact on the lives of people with cognitive disabilities. This second impact will be rated by combining the following factors:
Significance of impact: How valuable will the technology be for those who use it?
Breadth of impact: How many people will be able to benefit from the technology?
Likelihood of success: How likely is it that the prototype can be developed as a commercial product, or otherwise be made widely available, and will prove, given the information provided in the submission?
Notice that a prototype may have a high expected positive impact rating if it is extremely valuable for a few potential users, or if it is somewhat valuable for a larger group of users. A design that is extremely valuable for a larger group would rate even higher. The reviewers will consider cost, and the availability of existing solutions, in evaluating the size of the audience for a design.
Also notice that a submission that reports user testing of a prototype, with promising results, will be rated higher on expected positive impact than a design for which no such data are presented, unless it is clear to the judges that the latter can be implemented and would work if implemented. If there is user testing it is expected that the group will follow the rules for human subject research at their institutions. These are often called IRB or HRC rules.
Examples of appropriate technology applications are included below.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
First prize of $5000
Second prize of $2400
Third prize of $1200
Seven additional prizes of $200 each
The first prize winner will be invited to attend the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities Conference and the Partners’ Meeting of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Advancing Cognitive Disabilities in Boulder, Colorado, in Fall, 2007, with expenses paid.
Entry Requirements
The competition is open to undergraduate students who are enrolled in accredited institutions of higher learning at the time of submission of a letter of intent (see below).
February 1, 2007
Prospective entrants submit a letter of intent including the following information:
- Name(s), affiliation(s) and contact information, including email addresses, for the submitters
- Outline of the proposed design concept
- Description of the intended user audience
- One or more concrete scenarios illustrating the use of the design and its value
- A proposed mode of submission for the prototype
Feasible modes of submission of prototypes will depend on the nature of the prototype. For example, software that runs on commonly-used platforms might be submitted electronically, software that runs on an less common platform, such as a cell phone might be submitted installed on the device, if the device is small. Hardware prototypes that are bulky, or software that runs on an uncommon platform that is bulky, might be demonstrated on video, and the video submitted.
Letters of intent will be reviewed to determine whether the proposed design is within the intended scope of the design competition, and submitters will be given feedback as needed. Feedback will include the acceptability and feasibility of the proposed submission mode for the prototype. (If the project is actually performed in the Fall of 2006, teams should submit their letter of intent early in the Fall term.)
June 1, 2007
By June 1, 2007 entrants will submit their final materials. The required material to be submitted consists of:
- Name(s), affiliation(s) , and contact information, including email addresses, for the submitters
- An Executive summary not exceeding two pages
- Description of the design
- Intended Audience
- Requirements of Audience met by design
- This should include scenarios of use and value to individuals
- Existing solutions or alternatives
- Design Specifications
- Design details
- Schematics
- Software requirements
- Language used
- Platforms
- Parts lists – if applicable
- Test results
- Details of test procedures and test results
- A testing on human subjects including protocols and Institutional approvals for such testing
- Design Analysis
- As appropriate to the design, for example, mathematical models, simulations, etc
- Cost estimate/analysis for product/tool
- A detailed Users Manual
- Relevant Bibliography
- The prototype itself
While the length of material will certainly vary these are expected to be at least semester long projects – similar to a senior capstone project – with a suitable level of detail.
Intellectual property in the prototypes remains the property of the submitters.
Examples of Design Projects
These are only examples. Respond to needs you identify, and use your creativity.
Improvement in accessibility of information on the World Wide Web for persons with cognitive disabilities. Memory aids for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Automated monitoring and coaching to help a person with a brain injury follow accepted conversation patterns. Aids for using public transportation. Prompting systems for work or daily life tasks. Interfacing an augmentative or alternative communication device, usable by a person with a cognitive disability, to a smartphone or email client. An email client or Web browser usable by a person with a cognitive disability. A communication device that helps a person with a cognitive disability stay in touch with friends, family, or care givers. Educational games usable by a person with a cognitive disability.
In the related area of accessible medical devices there is an existing design contest and examples of those designs can be found at http://rerc-ami.org/ami/projects/d/2/2/ .
As a way of identifying design opportunities, entrants are encouraged to get in touch with people at their institution, or in their communities, who work with people with cognitive disabilities. The competition organizers will be glad to provide help, if needed, in making these contacts.
Submit your letter of intent, or any questions you may have about the competition, to: sdc@rerc-act.org
