Class: ID 4072 | Instructor: John White

Explorer: This project is about improving safety and independence for blind people navigating urban environments. The result was a smart cane that uses a host of sensors that measure distance to identify medium range obstacles (3 - 20 feet). This information is converted to audio or haptic feedback to alert the user. The project placed a strong focus on human factors due to the unique challenges of designing for someone who lacks sight.

Team Members:  Bridgid Winston, Ayite Kevin Kangni-Soukpe, Loucas Nicolau-Griffin
Class: ID 4081 | Instructors: Wayne Li, Stephen Sprigle

Trē is an urban shade structure which is designed for installation in communities within Texas’s major cities: Austin, Dallas, and Houston. This is a self-sustaining urban shade structure that creates a safe and comfortable place to escape the heat while accessing various amenities such as WiFi and device charging, and also bringing beauty and greenery to the neighborhood. We focused on urban residents, especially those in historically neglected communities who struggle with the impacts of air pollutants, excessive heat, and a lack of digital connectivity,

Team Members:  Rebecca Sheiner, Jack MacLeod, Robert Feagans, Amelia Mclean
Class: ID 3052 | Instructors: Leila Aflatoony, John Peponis

Adjustable Horizons: My goal was to design a living room that encourages social interaction while adapting between entertaining and relaxing. The solution was to create a living room floor lowers and converts into a Couch Pit. When lowered, an additional couch can be folded open, expanding seating capacity. As a team, we created adaptable spaces in architecture in several areas throughout a house such as the bedroom, and dining room, while my focus was exclusively on the living room.