Engaging young people with assistive technologies using 3D printing technologies and computer aided design (CAD) software.

Click here for tutorials - AT products featured in Action Duchenne workshop

Students with learning difficulties and disabilities at Hereward College in Coventry have expert knowledge of disability and what assistance is needed by young people living with disability. This project is about enabling them to tailor the design of tools and accessories to their own requirements and to investigate how they can share their designs and expertise with the wider community. By providing this opportunity we aim to raise aspirations of Hereward students, as they are currently unlikely to go into STEM areas.

Initial WMG research & design work with Hereward College

Over the summer months, WMG worked with Hereward College to design and 3D print an iphone mount with a bespoke attachment for a student's wheelchair. There are numerous different wheelchair designs and different users require items such as iphones to be attached in different positions, so this work provided an excellent example of how 3D design and print can help to produce bespoke user solutions. The design and 3D print process can be seen below:

Assessing user needs	Producing 3D CAD drawing	Printed iphone mount in use

The wheelchair user was consulted regarding required poistion, angle and anchoring point for the iphone mount. Photographs and measurements were taken and used to produce the 3D computer aided design of the iphone mount ready for it to be 3D printed at WMG.

The finished printed iphone mount was delivered to Hereward College and installed on the student's wheelchair. The position and angle were correct and the product was left with the user for evaluation.

Over the summer months further project work with Hereward College was completed by James Atkinson, WMG Student Intern - click here to see the Academic Poster produced by James.

Project Team

WMG	Computer Science	Hereward College	Student Tutors
Margaret Low Research Page link	Dr Claire Rocks	Paul Doyle	Isobel Ferguson
Diane Burton STEM Outreach Project Officer Current project page link	Dr Alexandra Cristea Research page link	Howard Knight	James Atkinson
Dr Greg Gibbons Research page link	Dr Jonathan Foss Research page link		Russell Smith
Evaluation: Sarah Jenkins, Jenesys Associates

News Spring 2014 See the range of assistive technology products developed during the project January 2014 Hereward student designs assistive technology straw support. November 2013 Hereward students make excellent progress learning 3D CAD software

Friday 4th October 2013 Professor Les Ebdon, Director of the Office for Fair Access visited Hereward College to find out about this Project. Wednesday 25th September 2013 Launch event for Hereward students taking part in the project, to be held at the University.

Wednesday 18th September 2013 The First project workshop held at Hereward College. Students learned how 3D printers work and printed their first product on the new Hereward 3D printer.