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

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.” (

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

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

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

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

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

Projects 1.Narrative Audio Boxes 2.Animal Silhouettes Station 3.Bamboo Chimes 4.Pine Cone Buckets 5.Solar Powered Fountain

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

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.

Electrical Design PVC Rectangular Enclosure

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

Requirements Met Design Requirement Narrative Audio BoxAnimal Silhouettes Project requires maintenance less than 3 times annually Electronics are enclosed in no less than one layer of weatherproofing √√ Electronic enclosures are screwed shut √√ Wood is pressure treated and/or sealed with water repellant √√ No more than 300mA on any circuits Power sources are renewable/rechargeable √√ Installed object is off of the beaten path in locations agreed upon by Everybody Rides √√ Projects external parts are colors or materials found in nature √√ Edges on devices are no sharper than anything found in nature √√ Load bearing parts have a factor of safety of 2 or higher √√ No flashing lights √√ Decibel levels are 85 or lower Open Containers with bottoms have an opening of 12” or greater √√

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

Design and Installation

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

Requirements Met Design RequirementBamboo Chimes Project requires maintenance less than 3 times annually √ Electronics are enclosed in no less than one layer of weatherproofing √ Electronic enclosures are screwed shut √ Wood is pressure treated and/or sealed with water repellant √ No more than 300mA on any circuits √ Power sources are renewable/rechargeable √ Installed object is off of the beaten path in locations agreed upon by Everybody Rides √ Projects external parts are colors or materials found in nature √ Edges on devices are no sharper than anything found in nature √ Load bearing parts have a factor of safety of 2 or higher √ No flashing lights √ Decibel levels are 85 or lower √ Open Containers with bottoms have an opening of 12” or greater √

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

Requirements Met Design RequirementPine Cone Buckets Project requires maintenance less than 3 times annually √ Electronics are enclosed in no less than one layer of weatherproofing √ Electronic enclosures are screwed shut √ Wood is pressure treated and/or sealed with water repellant √ No more than 300mA on any circuits √ Power sources are renewable/rechargeable √ Installed object is off of the beaten path in locations agreed upon by Everybody Rides √ Projects external parts are colors or materials found in nature √ Edges on devices are no sharper than anything found in nature √ Load bearing parts have a factor of safety of 2 or higher √ No flashing lights √ Decibel levels are 85 or lower √ Open Containers with bottoms have an opening of 12” or greater √

Solar Powered Fountain  Solar Powered Fountain  Floats in pond  Shaped like lily pad  Produces splashing sound

Requirements Met Design RequirementSolar Fountain Project requires maintenance less than 3 times annually √ Electronics are enclosed in no less than one layer of weatherproofing √ Electronic enclosures are screwed shut √ Wood is pressure treated and/or sealed with water repellant √ No more than 300mA on any circuits √ Power sources are renewable/rechargeable √ Installed object is off of the beaten path in locations agreed upon by Everybody Rides √ Projects external parts are colors or materials found in nature √ Edges on devices are no sharper than anything found in nature √ Load bearing parts have a factor of safety of 2 or higher √ No flashing lights √ Decibel levels are 85 or lower √ Open Containers with bottoms have an opening of 12” or greater √

Trail Checklist Design RequirementDoes Trail Satisfy? 1/3 of devices installed stimulate the motor skills of participants √ 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 Plan includes top 4 ideas not installed on the trail as agreed upon by everybody rides √

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

Audio Block Diagram

Future Ideas Packet  Bridge  Water Wheel  Hand Crank Animals  Squirrel Chase  Woodpecker

Bridge  Provides Access Across Stream  Hoofs Create Noise  Visually Stimulating

Bridge  Senior Design I: Ramp FS < 2  Support Added to Reduce Stress  NEW FS: ”x6” Beam

Water Wheel  Wheelchair and Walkers  Turn Handle  Wheel Turns and Splashes Water Bevel Gears

Hand Crank Animals  Wheelchair and Walkers  Turn Crank  Animals Bob up and Down Rotate Handle

Squirrel Chase  All Trail Users  Pull Rope to Move Squirrel Pull Rope DownSquirrel Moves Up

Woodpecker  All Trail Users  Pull Rope to make Bird Strike Tree Pull Rope Down Bird Rocks Forward

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 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.