April marks the end of the academic year but also the time when Years 1 & 2 EngSci students show off their inventive engineering design projects at the annual end-of-term Praxis Showcases.
The Praxis series of courses forms the foundation of design education in the EngSci program.
Praxis II Showcase
Year 1 students learn, refine and apply engineering, design, and communication skills in Praxis I & II. They work in teams and with community stakeholders on real-world challenges in the City of Toronto, using engineering to improve the lived experience of a community.
This year’s Praxis II opportunities included helping amateur astronomers manipulate their telescopes during cold Canadian nights, designing ways to keep young children safe in daycares, developing a better way for competitive swimmers to use resistance training in the pool, and more.
See more projects on our Flickr feed.
Praxis II Awards
Two Praxis II teams were recognized with the Ian & Shirley Rowe Innovation & Community Impact Award. The award was established in 2022 by alumnus Ian Rowe (EngPhys 5T8) and his late wife Shirley to recognize outstanding student design teams in this course.
Shark Pouch
Arthur Chen, Andy Gu, Florine Han, and Jessica Torkos (all Year 1 EngSci)
The Shark Pouch uses a creative design to adjust resistance levels for swim training on a gradient by using a drawstring mechanism. Attached to a belt, the Shark Pouch is worn beneath the abdomen and does not interfere with strokes and kicks, as current training equipment does.
The shark design, inspired by biomimicry, aligns with the student team’s position to make swimming an enjoyable experience regardless of skill level.
VoiceFilm
Henley He, Angela Lazarakis, Jack Levy, Devanshi Makkar (all Year 1 EngSci)
RFP: Ready, Set, Record: An Accessible Filming Opportunity
VoiceFIlm, is a dual software and hardware accessible filming system designed for wheelchair users with cerebral palsy, cortical vision impairment and nystagmus. It provides these stakeholders a more autonomous control over initiating and terminating the filming process on a GoPro camera.
The device uses a flexible gooseneck mount to clip onto wheelchair arms, allowing the user to film hands-free, at an eye-level and with stability. Its modular design using off-the-shelf materials allow for long-term use, in case of wheelchair changes. The software uses a smart watch and a machine model trained on the user’s voice. Detection of the words “action” and “cut” initiate and terminate the filming process.
The design aimed to bridge the gap between assistive technology and creative expression, driven by the team’s core values of autonomy, empowerment and representation.
Praxis III Showcase
In Year 2, EngSci students complete their engineering design foundation by working on full-term projects with global significance or impact in Praxis III. This year’s opportunities, aligned with several United National Sustainable Development Goals, were: improving building energy management on the African Continent, and wildfire protection and mitigation in Canada.
See more projects on our Flickr feed.
