Don McDowell, chair of the Chattanooga Downtown Rotary Club’s Service Projects Committee and a retired engineer, talks to students before they present their engineering projects.
Eight engineering projects, including a way to stabilize kid swings, build climbing walls and lay out mazes, highlighted a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga engineering demonstration.
Based on specific requests for specific needs with specific parameters, 37 freshmen in the “Introduction to Engineering Design Projects” course designed fun, educational and safe activities for those with disabilities.
Final designs were presented to an audience of students, those who made the requests, UTC faculty and community members.
Signal Centers, which provides programs to help individuals with disabilities, received money for the projects through a grant from the Chattanooga Downtown Rotary Club.
“Don’t underestimate the incredible impact you can make daily, and it starts right here with projects and presentations like this,” Don McDowell, chair of the Rotary Club’s Service Projects Committee, told the students.
Daniel Pack, dean of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science, said the students should understand the “human applications for what you’re doing in engineering.”
“We’re serving people with disabilities and for you to try to really do human-centered design for an individual or a class or a teacher is really special. It’s fun to impact their lives,” he said.
Projects
No Mess Sensory Bin
Team members: Hayden Black, Gavin Hamrick, Caleb Weir, Eli Welch, Presley Williamson
Client: Red Bank Elementary School
Swing Stabilizer
Team members: David Brown, Mia Ewing, Hunter Leslie, Josh Love, Sean Rascoe
Client: Coalmont Elementary School
Sensory Tunnel
Team members: Holland Luttrell, Levi Robinson, Abby Shelton, Tahj Taylor
Client: East Ridge Elementary School
Tactile Building Map
Team members: Matthew Funderburk, Noah Hood, Jon Milbourne, Weston Swallows, Devin Thurman
Client: Signal Centers Chattanooga
Adaptive Climbing Activity
Team members: Noah Nugent, Cole Olinger, Steven Sanford, Gaines Tallent
Client: Snow Hill Elementary School
Adaptive Switch Protection
Team members: Karla Coronado, Chase Floied, Maxwell King, Trenton Thomas
Client: Wallace A. Smith Elementary School
Horse Stall Watering System
Team members: Matthew Booe, Caden Sherlin, Hayden Verstrat, Hayden Walker, Anna Wright
Client: Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center Reinbow Riders Program
SuperHero Peg and Channel Maze
Team members: Luke Beach, Blake Boarman, Caleb Masters, Jaylan Oliver, Camron Rockwell
Client: Middle Valley Elementary School
