Welcome to Day 4
Welcome to Day 4
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We are over halfway through our virtual Difference Makers Camp. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning all about design thinking and how to put your engineering talents to use making a difference in the lives of others.
We are over halfway through our virtual Difference Makers Camp. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning all about design thinking and how to put your engineering talents to use making a difference in the lives of others.
Today, we’ll explore:
Today, we’ll explore:
- More about prototyping
- Meet Duncan - Your first “real” client
- Design a solution to help Duncan
Getting Started
Getting Started
Prototyping
Prototyping
What is Prototyping?
What is Prototyping?
Prototyping is the iterative development of artifacts – digital, physical, or experiential – intended to elicit qualitative or quantitative feedback. The act of prototyping implies “building”, testing, and iterating and is, itself, both a flaring and a narrowing process. The flaring represents the proliferation of low resolution prototypes developed as different aspects of the prototype are evaluated. The narrowing represents the refinement of the lower resolution models into
Prototyping is the iterative development of artifacts – digital, physical, or experiential – intended to elicit qualitative or quantitative feedback. The act of prototyping implies “building”, testing, and iterating and is, itself, both a flaring and a narrowing process. The flaring represents the proliferation of low resolution prototypes developed as different aspects of the prototype are evaluated. The narrowing represents the refinement of the lower resolution models into
increasingly complex and resolved models based on feedback, that leads to an even better understanding of the users needs.
increasingly complex and resolved models based on feedback, that leads to an even better understanding of the users needs.
Think about it in terms of other academic content:
Think about it in terms of other academic content:
- English/History - You might start with a paper outline, draft your content, have others proofread and refine. This can happen multiple times.
- Math - It’s like solving for a variable. You think you have a solution and then you plug that solution back into the equation to see if it fits/works.
- Art - You might sketch something multiple times, adding layers of complexity each time. Then you might add to it or create that piece using another medium like clay or paint.
Important things to consider:
Important things to consider:
- We give students relatively little time to prototype so that they don’t get attached to ideas and are open to feedback and iteration
- Failing early leads to much better final products. We learn so much through our unsuccessful attempts and they should be celebrated. Failing is growth!
- Prototyping helps to get you building instead of just thinking. It’s okay to make multiple prototypes out of a variety of different things!
- There are 2 different categories of prototypes to consider:
- A visual prototype - one that looks like your solution; or
- A working prototype - one that works like your solution (it may also look like your solution)
Meet Duncan, Canine Epilepsy Warrior
Meet Duncan, Canine Epilepsy Warrior
Meet Duncan!
Meet Duncan!
Duncan is a two year old male, mixed-breed rescue that came to live at our house in February. He was found as a stray around 6 months old and taken to a Pitbull rescue and fostered for a year without any adoption applicants. During this time the foster realized he had seizures and started vet care for Epilepsy. In February, 2020 he was transferred to the Skiatook Paws and Claws Rescue where we found him. Now he lives with two adults, 1 child, 2 cats and 4 fish.
Duncan is a two year old male, mixed-breed rescue that came to live at our house in February. He was found as a stray around 6 months old and taken to a Pitbull rescue and fostered for a year without any adoption applicants. During this time the foster realized he had seizures and started vet care for Epilepsy. In February, 2020 he was transferred to the Skiatook Paws and Claws Rescue where we found him. Now he lives with two adults, 1 child, 2 cats and 4 fish.
Duncan loves to...
Duncan loves to...
Run! Duncan loves to go for runs with his humans. He can easily and happily run a 5K (3.1 miles)
- Play with his younger human Landon.
- Snuggles - he loves to snuggle with all his humans!
- Meeting people and animals - he loves to see people and animals, he has yet to meet a human or animal he does not love and want to play with. He is extremely social and calm around kids. He loves to play!
- Play with his toys - he love to throw his toys up in the air and chase them down, rip them apart and play with his tennis balls in his dirt pile outside.
- Car rides! Duncan loves to be everywhere with his family and loves car rides.
Duncan's Struggles
Duncan's Struggles
- He has epilepsy which means he may always have seizures. At the moment, they are mostly under control with medication. He currently takes 1 pill of Keppra (common epilepsy medication) three times a day, CBD Oil with his food and 3 calming chews at bedtime. He does not like to take his pills even with a pill pocket. Both of Duncan's adult humans are experienced animal care providers so if Duncan completely refuses to take his meds they are experienced how to ensure he takes his meds without harm.
- If he overheats, even if it is hours before bedtime, he is at a very high risk of having a seizure that night whether or not he has cooled off by bedtime.
- Since he loves to run and overheating causes seizures, he becomes very sad when he sees his family go for a run without him. Even if they return and take him for a walk afterwards he usually sits on a couch watching out of the front window waiting for their return.
- He does not like water. Even though he is mostly Lab which typically love water he has a real fear of water. If he sees sprinklers on a walk he pulls at the leash to completely avoid them.
- Even though Duncan loves car rides his humans are very careful not to take him on rides or places when it is hot so not to cause a seizure later that night.
- The truth about seizures is the more you have, the more you will continue to have. It is a very vicious cycle that is hard to break. The best way to help is to try to prevent things that trigger seizures and in Duncan's case, heat is the biggest risk.
This is Duncan waiting for his human mom to return from a run he was unable to go because it was too hot, meaning it was over 80 degrees outside. He refuses to play or eat until she comes home to take him for a walk unless it is very hot in which he will not be able to go.
Duncan's Seizures
Duncan's Seizures
- Most of his seizures are called called Grand-Mal Seizures. These cause him to be unconscious, stop breathing and his body starts to convulse (shake violently). They usually last about 2 minutes then he remains unconscious for 30-90 minutes while his brain is "rebooting." During this time he is unaware of everything and often acts disoriented when he wakes.
- During a seizure, his mouth also convulses and looks like he is biting at the air but he is COMPLETELY unaware and not in control of any of his movements during this time. His caregivers must be very careful not to accidentally get bit during trying to protect his head from the violent jerking and convulsing.
- The second greatest risk, second only to the not breathing during the seizure, is the risk of overheating during the seizure. Dogs can easily overheat during a seizure and the way to monitor this is to feel the pads of his feet. The pads of dog's feet help to release body heat and if they are very warm it is a signal the dog is overheating which causes more risks for him. Thankfully, he has never overheated during a seizure but continue to monitor this and have items ready to respond if needed.
- Duncan tends to drool a lot during a seizure and may wet his bed. His humans keep a seizure response box under the bed to be ready which includes towels to wipe drool and clean him if he wets himself, ice packs and Isopropyl Alcohol with a rag to help cool his feet thus working to prevent overheating.
- His humans must always be mindful about what could cause seizures. Aside from heat, heart-worm & flea preventions can cause seizures so they must discuss all preventative medications and immunizations with their vet to decide which would be the least likely to cause a seizure. They are also very mindful about the foods he eats to ensure it is very low to no grain to help maintain a healthy body weight and proper brain chemistry.
Duncan's Medications
Duncan's Medications
Let's take a look at what Duncan has to do to stay healthy.
Duncan's Seizures - Explained
Duncan's Seizures - Explained
Learn more about Duncan's seizures and how his family helps him.
Actual Seizure Footage
Actual Seizure Footage
To better understand and diagnose Duncan's seizures, sometimes it's important to video them. Warning: contains actual seizure footage.
Thoughts to consider for your prototype...
Thoughts to consider for your prototype...
- Heat is the biggest day-to-day worry regarding Duncan's seizures and safety. His humans constantly weigh the costs and benefits with what they do with Duncan against the potential for overheating. This is their first summer living with him so they are extra cautious but living in Oklahoma with extreme heat poses a definite problem they are looking to solve.
- How to protect his head during a seizure. He does not usually sleep with his head on his dog bed so they usually need to reposition him during a seizure to protect his head while working to keep their hands safe from potential bites while moving him to a more safe position.
- When they return to work. Right now, during the pandemic there is usually someone home with him all the time. The family has some anxiety about when they return to normal life and the possibility of Duncan having a seizure when no one is home. They do not currently make (to our knowledge) seizure detection devices for dogs. There are a number of devices for humans on the market but not for dogs.
How to learn more about Epilepsy
How to learn more about Epilepsy
STEM@HOME Challenge
STEM@HOME Challenge
After reading about Duncan, go through the Design Thinking Process and create a solution to help him with his daily living activities.
After reading about Duncan, go through the Design Thinking Process and create a solution to help him with his daily living activities.
Prototype Design Competition
Prototype Design Competition
Questions about Duncan?
Questions about Duncan?
Reflection
Reflection
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