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University of Massachusetts at Lowell

Assistive Technology Design Fair 2009

Project Proposal

School Name: TEAMS Academy

Team Members: Nate Gioacchini(Methuen High), Josh Weinberg (Littleton High), Kelley Mitchell (Tyngsboro)

Team Advisors: Janna Thomas, Don Rhine, Bill Harmon (978) 934-4613

Statement of Need: Our client needs help sensing specific temperatures while cooking.

Background:

Our client Bee is a 17 year old senior at Fitchburg High School who is blind. His hobbies include playing the guitar and piano and he also enjoys cooking. His favorite type of music his hip hop and his favorite artist is Ludacris. Bee plans on attending Umass Lowell next year and wants to major in sound technology.

During our interview with Bee he told us how he enjoys cookings, but sometimes faces difficulty when it comes to determining the correct temperature of the food or water. Our idea is to develop a type of thermometer that can have a small speaker attached to it. The thermometer can then be set to beep once it reaches a certain temperature. This will be benificial for determining if water is boiling or to check the inside of a piece of steak or chicken to tell if it has heated up all the way through.

Research On Existing Products:

Most audio thermometers that already exist can tell the temperature in a room, but not of a water or a specific piece of food. One product that already exists is a thermometer that gives an audible indication when meat is cooked all the way through. This product has a low cost, but an LCD display is used to set the thermometer, which would make it very difficult for the client to operate. We could use this idea and build off of it to make a product that would be best for our client.

Research On the Possible Items We Might Need To Take the Temperature Of

• Water - 250°F

• Roasts, Steaks, Veal, and Lamb - 145°F-170°F (From Medium Rare to Well Done)

• Poultry - 165°F (Temperature must be taken from the innermost part of the theigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast)

• Ground meat - 160°F

• Fish - 145°F

• Sauces and Soups - full boil (250°F)

• Leftovers - 165°F

Conclusion: Maximum Temperature needed to be reached = 250°F

Design Requirements/Constraints:

• The product has to be safe for the client to use.

• The product must be completed in our time frame.

• Costs must be under $150.

• The product must incorporate an audio piece efficiently

• The product must be easy to use.

• He needs to be able to hear it easily.

• Power Source

• finding a way to change temperature settings