Approximately forty Purdue biomedical engineering and industrial design students participated in the 2-day event, joining students from China, Ireland and Korea. Local students gathered at the Matchbox Coworking Studio in Lafayette, IN in September 2016 and skyped with students abroad.

Above: DesignGoodNow 2016 Purdue participants

Participants were split into groups of 8-10 people and shown a video of a challenge faced by a disabled patient. Then they were tasked with sketching designs of 3 ideas that could be of assistance. On the second day, teams were given materials, such as foamcore, cardboard, straws, tape and hot glue, to build a prototype of a device. The final model was built using 3D printers.  

Some of the prototypes developed included a spring-loaded knee brace to help pregnant women bend their knees easier and a pen that would help stroke victims regain their motor skills.

“This event enabled students to develop their design and problem-solving skills while building bridges between disciplines, countries, cultures, and languages to solve problems faced by people around the world,” said Hugh Lee, assistant professor of biomedical engineering.  

Students created 2-3 minute video presentations of their ideas to share with participants at other universities. They were uploaded to the DesignGoodNow YouTube channel and can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNtWoTsTrqaFRNST7NhCn9Q/videos?view=0&shelf_id=0&sort=dd

Learn more about DesignGoodNow: http://www.designgoodnow.com/