One group was given the task of creating a reading table that could be connected to the wheelchair of a Boulder middle school student with cerebral palsy. After spending numerous hours at McGuckin Hardware, the group finally came up with a canopy-style reading table that connects to a wheelchair. According to Louie, when five minds are working together for a common purpose, anything is possible. Louie answers students' questions and makes suggestions, but she lets them make the final decisions on their projects. Each group works differently.
Some groups have a set plan from the beginning, and others create their devices as they go along.
According to Piket-May, many times students come up with more successful, ingenious ideas than their professors because they are not restricted by knowing what's already been done in the field of assistive technology. By requiring such professionalism, and by connecting with the community as part of the class, Piket-May hopes that students will remember that connection when they land jobs as engineers. The long-term results of the program prove its success. A number of students who have taken the course are given internships as early as their sophomore year. I think this type of endeavor needs to start in high school as a grassroots effort.