Day 2!

As group research becomes more in depth and detailed, we must keep everyone updated! All 3 groups are becoming more knowledgeable about the problem at hand and research is being generated quite quickly.  As public representative it is my job to keep the blog updated and informational.  But since I can't obtain the full details from every group, someone in each group must write a blog for the day and send it to me.  Once I have all the proposed blogs, it is my job to proofread and make adjustments. This is a great way for the groups to all communicate about what was accomplished for the day and helps me complete the task at hand.

The team designing the wheelchair worked on finding out what the actual patients want. We went over to Wesley Nursing Home and talked to physical therapists and patients to find out what they think we should incorporate into our design of the armrest. We found that most patients want something that can be moved to a more natural angle and keep their arms from falling off and getting hurt. The therapists thought a design that would elevate the hand to reduce swelling and keep the arm secure without strapping it down would be very useful. So in class today, we discussed what we learned and how we can incorporate this into our design. Then we broke off and a few guys went and started drawing up CAD drawings of the wheelchair and the armrest given to us by the nursing home. The rest of us went and researched what the patients have available to them and how much the different devices cost. We also looked up diseases that mainly restrict an arms range of motion. This helps us to see what kind of problems we should look into and who our armrest would affect the most. This coming week, I hope we can get a design drawn out and visit other health care centers in the area to get their feedback as well.

In Class on Tuesday we got together after our presentation and delegated tasks to each group member. These tasks included research about other tutorials out there, materials needed, and software/ programming that will be necessary. I also went to call Mary at the Saratoga Hospital Nursing home again to see if I could meet up with her. Today I went to see Mary at the hospital and I talked to a patient that needed help with her MacBook Pro. She and I talked for a while and I completed a survey for her. Then I helped Mary with her Mp3 issues as she requested. My other group members emailed me their progress so that as a group we can all communicate.Our Future plans are to continue writing the HTML programing for the website and convert it into the application using the Conduit Mobile software or the Apps Builder software. We plan to purchase one of the microphones we are looking at, maybe the CAD U37 USB Studio Microphone. We also plan to purchase the software necessary for recording the videos on our screen, maybe using Camtasia. We plan to survey more people on what they need, maybe to go to more nursing homes and find out what they need help with. 

Today in class, the team working on the rollerski backpack got off to a great start. Many designs were thrown around until they finally settled on a design that is functional and esthetically appealing. After the group split up to find what fabric, sewing machines and insulation (for the water bottle pocket) would work best for the job, Thomas MacDonald scored the group a great partner: the school home and careers teacher. Mrs. Battesh has volunteered to teach the group how to sew and gave her two cents on which sewing machines she thought would do the best job. In the next couple of days the group plans to drafting up some technical drawings of the bag, a little proto-typing and maybe start ordering machines and fabric.