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CREATE 2022-2023
Create 2022-2023
See the CREATE projects by student engineers that give them the opportunity to put their knowledge to use in the context of a real life experience during their academic year long project.
Student engineers are hands-on in their collaboration with a NYSID not-for-profit rehabilitation center that is the site of employment for workers with disabilities. Together, the student teams and the rehabilitation centers identify a project that can improve the rate and efficiency of a worker's productivity. This will lead to more jobs for individuals with disabilities. CREATE may also serve to educate a younger population on the employment challenges that are faced by this deserving cross-section of our state's workforce.
The City College of New York & Goodwill Industries
Project: Nusketch
Nusketch is an app that provides an alternate form of communication through art for users with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The solution allows users to experience artistic and communicative growth by taking pictures and converting them into a traceable sketch, which can then be colored. The app allows users to create visual cards of objects and concepts, providing people with ASD with a visual way to communicate. Nusketch could be used to assist employers with the job training process through visuals instead of standard user manuals and packets.
Read the paper: CUNY - Nusketch.pdf
Project: Productify
Productify is an easy-to-access app that allows users with disabilities to enhance engagement and productivity through quick note-taking. Time tracking and reminders of upcoming responsibilities will help users with time management. The app utilizes a cross-platform framework. To create a synchronization feature, a backend such as Google Cloud or Firebase will be utilized.
Read the paper: CUNY - Productify.pdf
Project: SiGHT
This iOS app is made to help people with blindness and low vision navigate the world. It is designed to warn the user of obstacles on their path using haptic alerts on an iOS device, paired with an add-on sleeve for a white cane that will vibrate to alert users of obstacles.
Read the paper: CUNY - SiGHT.pdf
Project: WalkIT
This app-based solution helps people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) overcome their social stressors in a progressive manner. It provides a long-term, goal-based plan that helps people with ASD and SAD explore their neighborhood by walking independently to increase their distance and comfort outdoors over time to improve the odds of becoming employed. The app will be equipped with advanced navigation features including verbal assistance and calm music specially designed for people with ASD and SAD.
Read the paper: CUNY - walkIT.pdf
Manhattan College
Project: High-Res Headband Document Scanner & Transmitter
This device will allow individuals with specific physical disabilities, such as Parkinson’s or those with limited fine motor skills, to be able to scan documents in an office setting, particularly through CPU’s Smile Farm partnership.
Read the paper: Headband Scanner - Manhattan College.pdf
Project: Smart Register
Constructive Partnerships Unlimited has a location in the Bronx that operates a cafeteria. The workers with disabilities at this location have trouble using the cash register. The Member Agency partner requested that the team further develop a Smart Register that had been originally designed during the 2021-2022 CREATE program year. The team plans on using a system to scan currency with a camera. The system will recognize the currency and upload it to a touchscreen panel that is connected to an application. The application will then compute the change the worker needs to give to the customer.
Read the paper: Smart Register - Manhattan College.pdf
New York Institute of Technology
Project: Intelligent Glue Gun
This high-technology glue gun will limit risks to workers with disabilities using a digital safety checklist before use, a nontoxic chemical mixture and curing method as an adhesive, and a smart control system that prevents unauthorized use of the glue gun.
Read the paper: NYIT AHRC Smart Glue Gun proposal.pdf
Project: Xpress Assist 2.0
This is an enhancement of the current Xpress Assist prototype that began development in the 2019-2020 CREATE program year. It allows employees with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to communicate with Spectrum’s management staff with a push of a button or the touch of a screen. The device will help track individual employee needs as well as aid in the identification of the employee’s daily work assignments using visual cues.
Read the paper: NYIT Spectrum Designs Xpress Assist proposal.pdf
SUNY Albany
Project: Automated Ream Opener
Center for Disability Services’ Mail Fulfillment Center processes enormous amounts of mail per day for New York State agency customers. It uses an estimated 50,000-100,000 pieces of paper per day. This paper is manually opened from reams of paper containing 500 sheets each, approximately 100-200 reams of paper are opened per day. The Center would like to hire people with disabilities to open the reams of paper, but this is difficult due to physical dexterity issues and the frequency of paper cuts the workers with disabilities often suffer when trying to do this job. The goal of this project is to develop a system that automatically opens reams of paper in a safe and effective way.
Read the paper: SUNY Albany - Automated Ream Opener.pdf
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Project: Scrub Pad Cutter
This machine will be able to cut raw scouring pad material into circles of varying diameters and roughness. The Arc intends to employ four to five employees with disabilities in its own manufacturing setup to produce the scrub pads rather than purchase pads from an outside source. The objective of this project is to create a cutting process that will facilitate the work of employees with disabilities and reduce the waste of the raw materials.
Read the paper: SUNY Poly - Scrub Pad Cutter.pdf
Create 2022-2023
See the CREATE projects by student engineers that give them the opportunity to put their knowledge to use in the context of a real life experience during their academic year long project.
Student engineers are hands-on in their collaboration with a NYSID not-for-profit rehabilitation center that is the site of employment for workers with disabilities. Together, the student teams and the rehabilitation centers identify a project that can improve the rate and efficiency of a worker's productivity. This will lead to more jobs for individuals with disabilities. CREATE may also serve to educate a younger population on the employment challenges that are faced by this deserving cross-section of our state's workforce.
The City College of New York & Goodwill Industries
Project: Nusketch
Nusketch is an app that provides an alternate form of communication through art for users with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The solution allows users to experience artistic and communicative growth by taking pictures and converting them into a traceable sketch, which can then be colored. The app allows users to create visual cards of objects and concepts, providing people with ASD with a visual way to communicate. Nusketch could be used to assist employers with the job training process through visuals instead of standard user manuals and packets.
Read the paper: CUNY - Nusketch.pdf
Project: Productify
Productify is an easy-to-access app that allows users with disabilities to enhance engagement and productivity through quick note-taking. Time tracking and reminders of upcoming responsibilities will help users with time management. The app utilizes a cross-platform framework. To create a synchronization feature, a backend such as Google Cloud or Firebase will be utilized.
Read the paper: CUNY - Productify.pdf
Project: SiGHT
This iOS app is made to help people with blindness and low vision navigate the world. It is designed to warn the user of obstacles on their path using haptic alerts on an iOS device, paired with an add-on sleeve for a white cane that will vibrate to alert users of obstacles.
Read the paper: CUNY - SiGHT.pdf
Project: WalkIT
This app-based solution helps people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) overcome their social stressors in a progressive manner. It provides a long-term, goal-based plan that helps people with ASD and SAD explore their neighborhood by walking independently to increase their distance and comfort outdoors over time to improve the odds of becoming employed. The app will be equipped with advanced navigation features including verbal assistance and calm music specially designed for people with ASD and SAD.
Read the paper: CUNY - walkIT.pdf
Manhattan College
Project: High-Res Headband Document Scanner & Transmitter
This device will allow individuals with specific physical disabilities, such as Parkinson’s or those with limited fine motor skills, to be able to scan documents in an office setting, particularly through CPU’s Smile Farm partnership.
Read the paper: Headband Scanner - Manhattan College.pdf
Project: Smart Register
Constructive Partnerships Unlimited has a location in the Bronx that operates a cafeteria. The workers with disabilities at this location have trouble using the cash register. The Member Agency partner requested that the team further develop a Smart Register that had been originally designed during the 2021-2022 CREATE program year. The team plans on using a system to scan currency with a camera. The system will recognize the currency and upload it to a touchscreen panel that is connected to an application. The application will then compute the change the worker needs to give to the customer.
Read the paper: Smart Register - Manhattan College.pdf
New York Institute of Technology
Project: Intelligent Glue Gun
This high-technology glue gun will limit risks to workers with disabilities using a digital safety checklist before use, a nontoxic chemical mixture and curing method as an adhesive, and a smart control system that prevents unauthorized use of the glue gun.
Read the paper: NYIT AHRC Smart Glue Gun proposal.pdf
Project: Xpress Assist 2.0
This is an enhancement of the current Xpress Assist prototype that began development in the 2019-2020 CREATE program year. It allows employees with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to communicate with Spectrum’s management staff with a push of a button or the touch of a screen. The device will help track individual employee needs as well as aid in the identification of the employee’s daily work assignments using visual cues.
Read the paper: NYIT Spectrum Designs Xpress Assist proposal.pdf
SUNY Albany
Project: Automated Ream Opener
Center for Disability Services’ Mail Fulfillment Center processes enormous amounts of mail per day for New York State agency customers. It uses an estimated 50,000-100,000 pieces of paper per day. This paper is manually opened from reams of paper containing 500 sheets each, approximately 100-200 reams of paper are opened per day. The Center would like to hire people with disabilities to open the reams of paper, but this is difficult due to physical dexterity issues and the frequency of paper cuts the workers with disabilities often suffer when trying to do this job. The goal of this project is to develop a system that automatically opens reams of paper in a safe and effective way.
Read the paper: SUNY Albany - Automated Ream Opener.pdf
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Project: Scrub Pad Cutter
This machine will be able to cut raw scouring pad material into circles of varying diameters and roughness. The Arc intends to employ four to five employees with disabilities in its own manufacturing setup to produce the scrub pads rather than purchase pads from an outside source. The objective of this project is to create a cutting process that will facilitate the work of employees with disabilities and reduce the waste of the raw materials.
Read the paper: SUNY Poly - Scrub Pad Cutter.pdf