Project Description

Somebody once said, "What a fool can do for a dollar, an engineer can do for a nickel". Thinking about costs as an engineering constraint brings new life to old ideas. This is what makes the difference between an idea influencing a hundred people or a billion! With our planet literally teeming with problems, it's time to take cost constraints into serious consideration. Currently, we are using engineering and design skills to help young children create, customize, and personalize visualizations (line, bar, pie) using our DIY toolkit made out of everyday materials (e.g., paper, cardboard) and computer vision markers. We explore how informal learning through creation and play can help foster data visualization literacy. Given their interests and skills, interested students will either expand the current data visualization project (e.g., improving toolkit design, designing new visualizations, conducting user-study evaluations with children) or partake in a new thread of the project focusing on science education (e.g., circuits).

Special Requirement

Preferred juniors and seniors but interested and motivated students from all class standings are welcomed. Flexible schedule is required. Students will be expected based on given tasks rather than hours.

Technical Skills (one or more of the following):

  • Basic understanding of information visualization concepts听
  • Experienced with programming (e.g., Javascript, Python, HTML5, CSS)
  • Hands-on with craft and making -Interesting in helping create technology for children听
  • CAD knowledge (SOLIDWORKS preferred), able to read and produce engineering drawings. Continuous experience with CAD in the last 6 months is preferred.
  • Able to work with different fabrication machines (E.g., laser cutting, 3D printing)

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