Innovative Samples

Six teams of ASU students participated in InnovationSpace during the 2004-2005 academic year. Half of the teams worked on designing products for aging Baby Boomers, 78 million of whom are poised on the brink of retirement.

The remaining three teams developed products that utilize a new device, known as the iReader. The device is being developed by computer scientists at ASU’s Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing (CUbiC).

The iReader technology captures written text via a digital camera. The text is then “read” by optical character recognition software and fed into an audio file. A synthesized voice relays the text to listeners—all in a matter of seconds. Students designed three different products utilizing the iReader technology: a desktop unit, a portable unit, and a wearable unit.

Product: iReader Desktop
Company Name: Decipher
Team Members:
Sergio Baiza, Industrial Design
Linh La, Graphic Design
James Villarreal, Aerospace Engineering
Lee Anne Shaffer, Business Finance

“My biggest dream is to walk into a library, pick up a book and be able to read,” said one member of a focus group made up of people with severe visual impairments.

The iReader Desktop may help to make this dream a reality. The device uses a variety of textures, grooves, and raised surfaces. The text-reading device communicates via touch to help users with limited vision operate it with speed and accuracy.

“We live in a fast-paced information age,” says business major Lee Anne Shaffer, a member of the Decipher team. “A person who can’t access printed information quickly is at a disadvantage. There’s no reason why people with visual impairments shouldn’t have equal access to the same information that everyone else does.”

Product: Rogo
Company Name: Visual Voices
Team Members:
Roberta Albuquerque, Industrial Design
Brian Lilley, Graphic Design
Athena Borhauer, Business Finance
Chance Kirsch, Computer Systems Engineering

Imagine sitting in a restaurant unable to read the menu. Or waiting at a bus stop and not being able to see the transit schedule. Or standing at a washing machine without being able to determine the temperature of the wash cycle. For people with visual impairments, these small daily tasks often become major obstacles.

Enter Rogo eyeglasses. Rogo is an acronym for “reading on the go.” Incorporating CUbiC’s iReader technology, Rogo includes two components. Tiny digital cameras embedded in the corners of the eyeglass frames capture information on a page. The information is read aloud to users via an audio earpiece. A small palm-held computer allows users to take notes or edit the text.

Product: Portable i-reader
Company Name: Fetch
Team Members:
Daren Nybo, Industrial Design
Malinda Carlton, Graphic Design
Ryan Evans, Business Management
Drew Shepard and Aaron Moncur, Bioengineering
Kelly Durret, Accounting

One of the most powerful predictors for success in school and on the job is the ability to read. Mastering reading skills can be an insurmountable obstacle for youngsters with severe visual impairments. Members of team Fetch discovered that only 45 percent of students with severe visual impairments graduate from high school. That number compares to 80 percent of their fully sighted classmates.

Team Fetch members saw a clear opportunity to improve the educational experience of people who are visually impaired. Their product is called i-reader. A portable camera unit transmits printed text via a wireless connection to a speech-output device. The i-reader fits handily on most classroom desks.

Product: The Assist
Company Name: Boom Design
Team Members:
Rebecca Finell, Industrial Design
Christy Sutphen, Graphic Design
Meredith Holmes, Business Finance
Ben Johnson, Mechanical Engineering

“Our whole mantra is ‘Remain dignified.’” says industrial design student Rebecca Finell. “It’s about you personally feeling good about yourself and not being stigmatized.”

Boom Design focused on one of the most sensitive problems encountered in illness or old age: the loss of strength or mobility for getting on and off the toilet.

The Assist addresses this problem using a set of motorized handlebars that fit securely under the arms of users. When not in use, the bars fold snugly into a wall cabinet, eliminating the need for dangerous and unsightly grab bars.

The cabinet’s panel comes in a variety of finishes ranging from wood and stainless steel to frosted Plexiglas, a nod to the style-conscious tastes of the Baby Boom generation.

“We’re not just trying to create a product that works,” Finell adds. “We’re trying to create a product that sells.”

Product: Conties
Company Name: Age+On Partners
Team Members:
Stephanie Recalde, Industrial Design
Michael Davis, Graphic Design
Jared Hardman, Business Management
Adam Scheck and Anthony Pettoruto, Mechanical Engineering

Before the members of Age+On Partners introduce their new undergarment for people who suffer from urinary incontinence, they like to take the audience on a drive-by of the competition: bulky pads and diapers, catheters, and clunky-looking underwear.

“Which of these products would actually instill pride in the user?” asks industrial designer Stephanie Recalde.

Their alternative, Recalde says, is intended to restore a sense of normalcy to those who suffer with incontinence. Conties is a washable undergarment specially designed to hold up to four thin pads. When soiled, the top pad can be easily removed by opening a flap in the front of the garment.

Conties comes in a variety of styles and fit—from conservative cut to active wear—to meet the needs and tastes of users. Best of all, it generates a fraction of the solid waste produced by more traditional products.

Product: Atlas
Company Name: Integrated Genius
Team Members:
Luisa Lambe, Industrial Design
Alan Luu, Graphic Design
Krystle Gomez, Marketing
Tiffany Sadowski, Business Management
Michael Meyer and Chad Welker, Mechanical Engineering

As people age, the risk of serious injury due to falling or lifting heavy weight increases exponentially. For many elderly adults, houses become obstacle courses. Arguably, no space in the home is fraught with more hazards than the average garage.

Team Integrated Genius worked to minimize the risks of tripping over power tools or straining backs while lifting heavy boxes. The team created a storage-shelf unit that moves belongings up and out of sight at the touch of a button.

Operated by a simple motor, the Atlas offers overhead storage that can hold up to 500 pounds. When lowered, the shelves can be positioned to a desired height, eliminating the need for bending or reaching. When retracted, the unit maximizes the underutilized space of garage ceilings while keeping floor space cleared of dangerous clutter.—Adelheid Fischer