Collaboration between UDM's College of Engineering & Science and the College of Health Professions is a win-win for mechanical engineering students and a number of disabled persons. Since the Using Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities program began, students have worked with local volunteer craftsmen to provide individuals with a variety of custom assist devices. Government and charitable organizations provide funds to cover the cost of materials.

Projects for wheelchair users have included adding a toddler seat to a wheelchair, modifying a crib gate to slide side-to-side to provide access from a wheelchair and producing a table attachment for power chairs. The students use a design system called CATIA, a 3D virtual design program, to visualize and tailor the assistive products.

"Engineering students learn applications for their skills beyond the traditional focus on the automotive industry," says Darrell Kleinke, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, who developed the program with Professor of Mechanical Engineering Nassif Rayess. "They meet with the client to determine what that person's needs are. Their assignment is, within two semesters, to design, build and deliver a device that will help that individual."

He adds that the program "perfectly fits the UDM mission. The projects require students to apply intellectual skills for the betterment of society, especially people with a physical disability," he continues. "In addition, our projects target individuals with unique needs. These individuals typically cannot afford specially designed devices, and it is not profitable for large companies to develop one-of-a-kind devices on a mass-production scale."

For more information, visit UDM's Enabling Technologies site.

Mechanical Engineering Professor Nassif Rayess assists students in modifying a crib gate to provide greater accessibility from a wheelchair.