Design for a Cause Challenge: Meet The Users

Meet the Users

These guide character bios have been created to help challengers come up with application ideas, these bios have been created with individuals in mind but their identities changed to preserve privacy.

Challengers can take inspiration from these characters or others in their own lives if they wish.

We ask you to consider how best to improve the lives people living with limitations using the Arduino MKR1000 and set their projects free for the world to recreate.

Meet Sarah

Meet Sarah, Sarah is a 32 year old woman from Scotland, she enjoys watching her local football team on a weekend at the stadium or on the TV, she likes to paint and she likes taking her Pug, Charlie, out for walkies on an evening after work. Over the last two years Sarah has been struck by early onset Arthritis in all her main joints. The painful joints and reduced dexterity have made it hard for her to walk more than a few steps and so she has become a wheelchair user. Her reduced or painful dexterity causes issues with everything from turning on the TV to being able to hold a knife and fork. Sarah is working hard to make sure it does not impact her regular activities but sometimes could do with technology to give her a helping hand, even if she is “Not a Technology Person”.

Meet Mike

Meet Mike,Mike is a 65 year old retired lawyer from Iowa, USA. He enjoys going to the Opera, fine dining, writing short stories, listening to the TV and radio. Turning on the TV set and finding his favorite stations is the extent of Mike’s technical skills.  Mike was born legally blind and can only see light levels, no shapes or colours. Mike lives with his wife Claire, she has been his carer, secretary and partner for the past 35 years but over the past few years her health has been failing her and Mike worries about his independence if she is sick or passes away.  Mike often needs Claire to charge his accessible cell phone and trouble shoot any issues with his text to voice program on his ageing PC.

Meet Mixy

Meet Mixy, real name Michelle, is your average 17 year old stroppy teenage geek from Germany, Mixy likes going to rock concerts, playing games on her PC, experiments with Arduino, she love hanging around malls and cheap black nail varnish. She is never seen without a cell phone glued to her hand. Mixy currently lives with her parents, attends a mainstream public school and is starting to consider college options or a year abroad to “find herself”. Her father, Walter, hearing this always points at her and says “there you are, found you”.  At age 14 she had a stroke that caused her to lose control of the left hand side of her body, including, sight in her left eye, hearing in her left ear and most control of her left arm and leg. This leaves her left limbs in need of rehabilitation exercises to retain the minimal strength they currently have. Like any stubborn teenager in this situation, Mixy is not going to let her limitations define her. She has been learning Arduino and basic programming to help automate things for her in the future.

Think you can build something that can help these people and others around the world?

Apply Here

Applications close 20th June 2018.

...and be in for a chance to win these prizes