WELCOME TO THE OUTDOOR AND ADAPTIVE CHALLENGE

Welcome to the Spring 2021 Outdoor and Adaptive Challenge where the top Design I teams (as picked in preliminary in-class competitions across 24 sections) showcased their final solutions and competed for prizes in a virtual pitch competition. The semester’s wicked problem was “Outdoor and Adaptive Equipment,” where we were seeking opportunities to improve outdoor activity, sports, and leisure equipment and systems, for either the masses of people without disabilities, with disabilities, or for individuals with unique disabilities. Solutions designed by student teams should represent creative, novel responses to some facet of the challenge.  With emphases on social dimensions of the problem and the socio-technical intersection, the brunt of solutions are technical in nature, but may touch on any technical field: electrical, mechanical, civil, environmental, computer science, chemical, geological, materials, mining, industrial, etc. (read the full Call For Proposals here).

Teams compete for cash prizes, including a special Subject Matter Expert Pick. Below you can see the grand prize winning teams as well as all of our finalists. Check out their video pitches (produced remotely while social distancing) and read through the judges’ Q&A on each of their team pages. For more information on Design I, click here.

THE WINNING TEAMS

1ST PLACE: THE SEVENTH SENSE

Problem Statement: How might we improve spatial awareness for hearing impaired cyclists?

Team Members: Cameron Shelley, Mark Ferguson, Spencer Shoemaker, and Harrison Fugate

Instructor: Mirna Mattjik, Section O

View Q&A in the Comments Here

2ND PLACE: THE KIBBLE KREW

Problem Statement: How might we make outdoor recreational activities more accessible to individuals with service dogs?

Team Members: Katie Collings, Charlie Dupras, McKenzie Jones, Prash Satish, and Aidan Reaves

Instructor: Cara Juergensen, Section E

View Q&A in the Comments Here

3RD PLACE: BOARD OUT OF OUR MINDS

Problem Statement: How can we make snowboarding safer, more accessible and more efficient?

Team Members: Frances Williams, Joshua Carson, and Joseph Lynch

Instructor: Bridget Wetzel, Section A

View Q&A in the Comments Here

SME AWARD: NOT PLAYIN’ AROUND

Problem Statement: How might we redesign a piece of playground equipment to be more accessible to children with little to no leg function?

Team Members: Chris Barron, Nate Graves, Tim Puls, John Taylor,  and Andrew Winkelmann

Instructor: Patricia Littman, Section I

View Q&A in the Comments Here

THE FINALISTS