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The goal of this design project was to develop an ergonomic and easy to use audio system specifically for elderly people.
As people age, they are not as agile and motile as they once were. In addition, many of the latest high-tech devices are complex and difficult for
the elderly to use. Current product designers are attempting to design tools and entertainment sources for these aging individuals. Modern devices usually contain many small buttons that are difficult
to use for vision-impaired people. These devices often have numerous menus and options, which must be set before the device can be used. In addition, the elderly have trouble remembering information, and learning to use a high-tech device can be very difficult. Based on the various complications of aging, an ergonomic, user-friendly, and entertaining device would be beneficial to older generations.
The
image above is an artist rendition of the client's desired final product.
Above is a picture of our group. Left to right we have: Andrew Neumann, Mike
Haggerty, Josh Anders, and Austin Ramme.
We have constructed a prototype. We have met and overcome many challenges so far including, designing/building a voltage regulator to power the LCD and audio amp, designing/building a working audio amplifier,
and designing a button controller circuit using a BASIC stamp. We would like to thank Professor Mark Allie and Professor Michael Morrow for their help with the electronic circuits.
We took the device to Meriter Health Care to do another round of surveys with the elderly to determine their reaction and get some suggestions.
Here is a picture of Austin explaining how the device works to a potential client:
The people that we interviewed at Meriter Heights liked the aesthetics of the radio.
They commented:
- "It looks like my old Feda radio."
- "Clever idea."
Their only suggestions were to add more bass to the sound and to increase the size of the text on the display.
Our Final Poster Presentation went very well, overall it seemed that people were impressed, especially with the design and production of the radio box and electronics. These are some "as built" photographs taken on presentation day:
| Week | Reporting Period Beginning | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 21 | Form teams, choose project, and assign responsibilities |
| 2 | January 28 | Meet with client and do literature search |
| 3 | February 4 | Meet with client, do research, brainstorm, and develop PDS |
| 4 | February 11 | Research, brainstorm, and develop PDS |
| 5 | February 18 | Prepare oral presentation; prepare written report |
| 6 | February 25 | Prepare preliminary design report and PDS |
| 7 | March 4 | Decide on final design |
| 8 | March 11 | Work on final design and build prototype |
| 9 | March 18 | Work on final design and build prototype |
| 10 | March 25 | Work on final design and build prototype |
| 11 | April 1 | Work on final design and build prototype/coding BASIC stamp |
| 12 | April 8 | Build prototype, code BASIC stamp, integrate electronics |
| 13 | April 22 | Prepare final oral presentation |
| 14 | April 29 | Prepare final report, PDS, and design drawing |
| 15 | May 6 | Meet with advisor |
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Mid-Semester Presentation (Feb 17 2005, 1856 kb) |
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Preliminary Design Report (with PDS) (Feb 25 2005, 501 kb) |
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Final Poster Presentation (May 3 2005, 2507 kb) |
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Final Design Report (with PDS) (May 4 2005, 806 kb) |
