OLPC Chicago/Archive
Summer projects: Definite
These projects should get their own project pages as soon as possible, and the information on this page should move out there and be replaced by a simple link to the project page and a short description. The {{{Template:Project}}} template may help.
Off-grid power generation
Prototyping chargers with the intent of turning out not just some finished designs, but a reference that others can start from for making their own completely different charger designs (basic electronics, specs, materials sources, etc - an off-grid-power cookbook that encourages experimentation.)
Who's doing it =
- Chris Carrick: full-time summer staff, mechanical engineer specializing in appropriate technology, taking this on as his primary project
- IMSA (probably - details need working out)
- Want to help? Sign up and contact the people above.
Who else should do it
- Local engineers with power generation experience
- People looking for ways to improve their basic mechanical fabrication skills (FIRST robotics students have the perfect kind of experience for some of this)
Discuss
XO accessibility
Develop peripherals and software so that kids with special needs can use the XO more effectively, focusing on creating adaptations for specific young users by working alongside special needs children and their teachers and parents to design a solution that works for them. Example projects could include an illuminated audio notifier, (improved) screen reader, head tracker mouse, etc - but also exploring possible uses of existing equipment for this purpose - for example, Write being collaborative might mean a deaf child can have his friends help him take lecture notes in class, a game based on Record where children dance in front of the camera to "hit" virtual objects on the screen with a colored sheet of paper could be used for physical therapy by a girl with cerebral palsy, etc. As part of this project, a generic USB peripheral development kit will probably be created. This project dovetails quite closely in places with existing Health efforts, and we'll communicate heavily with that group.
Who's doing it
- Mel Chua: full-time summer staff, electrical and computer enginer and programmer, hearing impaired, taking this on as a half-time project.
- Want to help? Sign up and contact the people above.
Who else should do it
- Local hospitals?
- Local associations for disabled children?
- Special ed teachers?
- Physical therapists?
- Kids (or former kids) with "special needs"?
Discuss
Pilot datasharing gear-up
The question of "what happens when you put these in a school?" needs to be seriously tackled at an education research level; what sort of questions/projects/people/infrastructure need to be put in place to get a good local meta-understanding of what's happening in your classrooms, and how can we prototype processes that make it easy for pilots to share this data with each other and external researchers, and for everyone to work with and use the data that's given?
Who's doing it
- Mel Chua would like to work on this, but probably doesn't have the time or expertise to do so. Any takers?
OLPC Health Application
Create a program that can allow users to self diagnose illness based on preset information. Would hopefully include a graphical interface with a human body which the user can interact with.
Who is doing it?
Arjun Nayini (IMSA Chapter Member) - I only have basic experience and would need some more experienced programmers to help if possible.