The Quality of Life Plus Program (QL+) established the QL+ Laboratory at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California in 2009. This laboratory is the pilot facility for research and development of QL+ sponsored innovations. The QL+ Laboratory teaches students to design, build and test assistive technologies for those wounded in the line of duty. In serving America’s wounded veterans and public servants, the QL+ Program curriculum provides applied experiences that serve the greater good. Team-based problem solving promotes project-based learning at Cal Poly and other universities, and provides research opportunities for faculty members.

Engineering student from Cal Poly.

QL+ will promote actual projects, in the form of challenges, to both faculty and students. This process begins by identifying specific challenges from the broader disabled community that are not adequately addressed by current research institutions or the commercial market. By leveraging the creativity of engineering students and faculty, assistive technologies will be developed to serve smaller populations or specialized needs. These innovations will be focused on solutions rather than commercial viability. QL+ will use a variety of incentives to encourage student participation, in the form of competitions and temporary employment opportunities. So far, engineering students have demonstrated a very high level of interest in our Program. Rising seniors, in particular, looking for meaningful senior projects are eager to be a part of a QL+ innovation team.

Cal Poly is one of the best engineering schools in the country. Every year its students break new records in innovation and competitive challenges. For example, in the 2008/2009 school year:

• Cal Poly ranked #1 among all public, non PhD. Colleges of Engineering
• US News ranked Cal Poly’s Industrial & Manufacturing Department as the top program in the nation among both public and private universities
• The Cal Poly Super Mileage Team took second place at the Shell EcoMarathon, achieving 2,358.7 miles per gallon
• Cal Poly took 1^st place in the student chapter booth competition at the International Symposium on Microelectronics
• The new Interdisciplinary Senior Design/Capstone Sequence, launched as a new initiative this year, provided industry-sponsored projects to six teams comprised of computer science, biomedical, materials, mechanical, electrical, industrial and general engineering students. The teams produced projects that included a robotic hand to give the deaf-blind population computer access, a ventilation system designed to save the lives of premature and sick newborns, and even a self-sustainable gardening robot.

The QL+ Program is fortunate to have support at all levels: from school management, faculty and students. The Biomedical students contributed $30,000 of their money to assist in the development of the Program.