Sam Wedig, a 10-year-old student at Crossroads Park Elementary School, was all smiles when Iowa State University mechanical engineering students showed him how they designed and permanently installed a communication interface on his wheelchair Thursday, Dec. 12, at the elementary school.
Wedig has cerebral palsy and is unable to communicate effectively on his own. Thanks to Heartland AEA speech-language pathologist Andrea Richmond, a team of five Iowa State students made it their senior project to design the custom interface, which works with Wedig’s powered wheelchair to allow him to better communicate with others.
The new device will also allow the fourth grader to meet his goal of being able to type and give him independence. Students involved with the project include Erik Olson, Henry Kelley, Josh Pedersen, Spencer Johnson and Tyler Kramer.
To see a slideshow of Wedig’s new device, visit the Des Moines Register.
Watch the WOI-TV story here.