Sensory Awareness Trail Team 06209

1. Sensory Awareness TrailTeam 06209 Team Members: Chiedu Monu Luke Hogan Tony Wong Richard Adams Timothy Mugwanya Team Mentor/Coordinator: Dr. Elizabeth DeBartolo

2. Purpose • Turn Nature Trail Into Sensory Trail • “All landscapes provoke some sensory response but it is the concentration of different experiences that gives sensory designs their identity.” (http://www.noahsarkgardens.co.uk/Articles/SensoryGarden.htm)

3. Sponsor • Everybody Rides • Non-Profit Therapeutic Riding Program • Location: Newark, NY • Serve over 150 Adults and Children Weekly

4. Needs • Stimulate the motor skills of participants • Incorporate sensory stimulus for all participants, especially those who are visually-impaired • Help Participants understand their surroundings • Anything installed shall look natural • Project components shall not obstruct existing trail • All project components shall be weatherproof

5. Needs (cont) • All projects shall be safe for all ages and abilities • The project components shall not cause a disturbance to users or horses • Projects shall require little maintenance • Any required electrical energy shall be generated on site using renewable power. • Constructed stations shall not be easily accessible to small animals • Develop a plan of unfinished projects for future design groups

6. Design Requirements • Mechanical • All projects require maintenance less than 3 times annually • Electronics are enclosed in no less than one layer of weatherproofing • All electronic enclosures are screwed shut • All wood is pressure treated and/or sealed with water repellant • Electrical • No more than 300mA on any circuits • All power sources must be renewable/rechargeable • Aesthetics • All installed objects are off of the beaten path in locations agreed upon by Everybody Rides • All projects external parts are colors or materials found in nature

7. Design Requirements (cont) • Activity • 1/3 of devices installed stimulate the motor skills of participants • If all devices are used on trail: • Sense of smell is stimulated at least once • Sense of touch is stimulated at least once • Sense of sight is stimulated beyond the normal level on the trail at least once • 4 narrative boxes highlight different aspects of the trail • Safety • Any edges on devices are no sharper than anything found in nature • Load bearing projects have a factor of safety of 2 or higher • No device uses flashing lights • Decibel levels of all installed devices, when used as instructed, do not exceed 85 • All open containers intended for storage have openings of 12” diameter or greater • General • Plan includes top 4 ideas not installed on the trail as agreed upon by everybody rides

8. Projects • Narrative Audio Boxes • Animal Silhouettes Station • Bamboo Chimes • Pine Cone Buckets • Solar Powered Fountain

9. Narrative Audio Boxes • Preset audio clip • Dynamo (Battery) powered • Teaches about Nature on trail • White Pine/Red Pine, Trilliums, Etc.

10. Animal Silhouettes Station • Plays recordable audio clip • Dynamo (Battery) powered • Teaches about Animals on trail • Where they live, what they eat, noises they make, Etc.

11. Electrical Design PVC Rectangular Enclosure

12. Installation • PVC outdoor enclosure • Wooden “birdhouse” exterior with hinged door • Post mounted 4 ft into ground

13. Requirements Met

14. Bamboo Chimes • Large chime for walkers and riders • Stick taken from basket used to strike bamboo • Utilizes motor skills, balance, sight, sound, texture

15. Design and Installation

16. Problem • Bamboo has thin membrane inside every foot • Could collect rain water or become bird house • Solution: Expanding Foam Insulation

17. Requirements Met

18. Pine Cone Buckets • Wicker baskets attached to trees • Riders transport pine cones from basket to basket • Help train users for Special Olympics

19. Requirements Met

20. Solar Powered Fountain • Solar Powered Fountain • Floats in pond • Shaped like lily pad • Produces splashing sound

21. Requirements Met

22. Trail Checklist

23. Future Work • Construct Charging Circuit with Dynamo Generator. • Construct audio box circuits for animal silhouettes. • Install remaining narrative boxes on trail.

24. Audio Block Diagram

25. Future Ideas Packet • Bridge • Water Wheel • Hand Crank Animals • Squirrel Chase • Woodpecker

26. Bridge • Provides Access Across Stream • Hoofs Create Noise • Visually Stimulating

27. Bridge • Senior Design I: Ramp FS < 2 • Support Added to Reduce Stress • NEW FS: 4.83 6”x6” Beam

28. Bevel Gears Water Wheel • Wheelchair and Walkers • Turn Handle • Wheel Turns and Splashes Water

29. Rotate Handle Hand Crank Animals • Wheelchair and Walkers • Turn Crank • Animals Bob up and Down

30. Pull Rope Down Squirrel Moves Up Squirrel Chase • All Trail Users • Pull Rope to Move Squirrel

31. Pull Rope Down Bird Rocks Forward Woodpecker • All Trail Users • Pull Rope to make Bird Strike Tree

32. Acknowledgements Dr. Elizabeth DeBartolo – Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology Dr. Daniel Phillips – Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology Bob Brewer – Chief Engineer and Department Manager, NTID ITV at the Rochester Institute of Technology Jeana Sansocie – Student of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology Sue Epstein – Program Director and Volunteer Coordinator for Everybody Rides in Newark, NY Lisa Williams – Riding Instructor for Everybody Rides in Newark, NY Jo Anderson – Riding Instructor for Everybody Rides in Newark, NY Ron Mamroe – Barn Manager for Everybody Rides in Newark, NY Mark DeCracker – Recreational Therapist for Everybody Rides in Newark, NY Bob Whitbeck – Recreational Therapist for Everybody Rides in Newark, NY This material is based upon work supported by the national Science Foundation under Award No. BES-0527358 Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.