Engineering In Community: Motor Skills Training Aid from 12 Sep to 21 Sep

On 12 Sep 2012, 24 students and staff from Republic Poly visited the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN Centre for Adults) at Jalan Tembusu. One of the first few projects to be launched under the Engineering in Community (EIC) framework, this Motor Skills Training Aid project requires our students to design and construct training aids for APSN clients.

We were given a warm welcome by Mr Philip Li, programme supervisor and Mr Jerome Anto Prakash, occupational therapist. There, our students were given a brief of the centre’s operations and the various programmes designed to train APSN clients, paving the way for their open employment in our society. Our students understood that APSN clients suffer from mild intellectual disability and how the training aids they are required to design are able to help train both gross and fine motor skills, strength and dexterity.

Mr Philip Li, programme supervisor for APSN Centre for Adults, giving our students an overview of the centre and its operations

Our students taking a tour around the APSN Centre. First stop at the paper bag preparation classroom where APSN clients earn their keep by preparing and packing paper bags for commercial use

Next at the hospitality training classroom. The realistic mock up of a hotel room, complete with washroom and living area, is designed to give APSN clients much needed, hands-on training

SEG students interacting with Jerome and APSN clients. Jerome explained the various types of muscular disabilities of each client in detail

Our students interacting with APSN clients in an attempt to better understand their training needs

Our students in the process of drawing out their conceptual designs

Team 3 consulting with facilitators about their design and other human factors considerations

Team 4 discussing about and putting it down their plans and design on drawing

First day of fabrication, team 3 unpacking their purchased materials

Planning and positioning the various screws and knobs on the workbench

 A circular workbench design by team 1. Looks like they’ve planned for it to be colourful

A student diligently marking out the positions in preparation for drilling

 Team 4 with a transparent version of the Resistive Prehension Bench

Team 2 with their Mini-Work Benches

 Team 1 with a circular version of the Work Bench

Team 3’s Workbench, complete with compartments for storage

Project Completion

On 21 Sep 2012, the training aids were completed within a short span of 9 days and students from Republic Poly were eager to deliver them to APSN. During a 2hr interaction session with APSN clients, each team took turns to demonstrate their training aid. A firm hand, coupled with gentle voices of instruction went down well with APSN’s clients and we did not have to wait long for the hall to fill with their voices of excitement and enthusiasm.

Suitable instructional materials accompany each training aid. These were created to guide both instructors and clients at APSN

 A satisfied APSN client after going through and completing a training cycle on the training aid

A group photo taken at APSN at the end of the day. In the background, from the right, Mr Philip Li (in green) and Mr Jerome Anto Prakash (in red)

 Front row, from left to right, Mr Toh Kian Hwee (standing), Mr Manik Gujral, Mr Jason Yap, Ms Loh Hui Ling from the School of Engineering, Common Engineering Programme (CEP)

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