Head to Shenzhen：Technological Aids Designing

The Dalton Academy ELP blog chronicles our annual Experiential Learning Program through the eyes of students. Each article features an account of a student’s experience traveling across the world for the purpose of gaining – through practical engagement – valuable insights into issues of global relevance.

Li Zimeng, a member of Dalton’s crack team of coders who travelled to Shenzhen as part of an ELP to design technological aids for the visually impaired, noted wryly that the experience was ‘eye-opening’.

The plan was to design a smart cane, one with infrared sensors to detect traffic light status which would then relay the status via Bluetooth to the user’s headphones. The team was given a crash course in product development – from ideation and design to constructing a functional prototype.

Although they’d visited several tech firms to gain insights on industry trends, the idea for the smart cane came from Zimeng and his team. While traffic lights already have audio signals for the visually impaired, Zimeng observed that, with the ubiquity of Bluetooth headphones, the sound from the traffic light may be drowned out by the user’s music. Like any great invention, Zimeng’s insight applied existing technology in an innovative way that catered to changing consumption habits.

Some of the other teams’ designs included Smart Aids for autism, and a bottle-opening robot, demonstrating the wide latitude for technological solutions to the everyday challenges of the disabled.

In his own words, Zimeng claims that his ELP has ‘ignited a passion for tech-driven disability solutions’, highlighting the significant role that experiential learning plays in orienting students visions for the future.