News from Tulane

A standing support system for a child with cerebral palsy, a guitar-playing aid for a person affected by stroke, a one-hand wheelchair lock for a nursing home resident — these are the kinds of devices developed by Tulane biomedical engineering students to help individuals with disabilities.

The students showed their designs on Saturday (March 3), the result of a two-semester course called Team Design Projects, taught by David Rice, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Lars Gilbertson, professor of practice.

Senior Elliot Neal, right, explains his team’s project, a standing support system for a child with cerebral palsy, to Carla Seyler, a rehabilitation counselor, and Charles Tubre of the Advocacy Center.

Tulane alumnus Brian Stewart presses the button on a device designed for his father, Henry, a stroke patient. The environmental controller provides an alarm system to alert family members in an emergency and ways to control lighting and a computer.

This student team developed a stationary bicycle with sensory feedback for children with autism. Michael Moore, assistant professor of biomedical engineering (from left), discusses the device with student team members Molly Kelly-Goss, Kimberly Larkin, Sarah Davis and Patrick Mackay.

Students, faculty members and visitors at the event give a round of applause to David Rice, foreground, who is in his final year of teaching the Team Design Projects class. The School of Science and Engineering is holding a design symposium in honor of Rice at 3 p.m. on April 13 in Freeman Auditorium at the Woldenberg Art Center. He plans to retire after 31 years on the faculty.