QL+ Program Manager:
Scott Huyvaert
The mission of San Diego State University is to provide research-oriented, high-quality education for undergraduate and graduate students and to contribute to the solution of problems through excellence and distinction in teaching, research, and service. The university strives to impart an appreciation and broad understanding of the human experience throughout the world and the ages. This education extends to diverse cultural legacies and accomplishments in many areas, such as the arts and technology; the advancement of human thought including philosophy and science; the development of economic, political, and social institutions; and the physical and biological evolution of humans and their environment. San Diego State University pursues its mission through its many diverse departments and interdisciplinary programs in the creative and performing arts, the humanities, the sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences.
scott.huyvaert@qlplus.org
This project presents a solution for individuals who struggle with the intricacies of organizing medication into weekly pill containers....
Quality of Life Plus (QL+) aims to generate engineering innovations that aid and improve the quality of life for those who have served our country. The organization works in collaboration with many engineering students across the United States to give them the opportunity to apply their engineering skills to solve real-life problems....
QL+ engineering students from San Diego State University were challenged to design and build a device to help a veteran, who lost both legs after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED), turn and control a surfboard. The team connected with Jordan Sisco, a veteran Army sergeant with the 123rd Infantry Battalion. In 2012, while on foot patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Jordan stepped on an IED and lost both legs and his left thumb. Surfing is one of Jordan’s favorite pastimes and has been a great outlet for him since the incident....
Dr. Jensen Shirley is a disabled U.S. Army veteran, who utilizes body-powered prosthetic devices for daily tasks with terminal metal hooks. As a result, Dr. Shirley struggles to use touchscreen devices, often improvising with a t-shirt to allow for any sort of input recognition....
QL+ engineering students from San Diego State University tackled the Motorcycle Wheelchair Carrier Challenge. The goal of this Challenge was to design and fabricate a carrier for a motorcycle that can securely attach a wheelchair for a paralyzed Veteran....
Throughout the course of the past nine months working on our senior project, our team has grown tremendously as engineers. We began this project with a vision and a goal to make our challenger’s dream come true through applying abilities in engineering and problem-solving....
Team BioShield has been sponsored by Quality of Life Plus to design and create a protective cap for individuals with osseointegration....
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Mark Thorton was an active duty in the US Army from September 1983 to June 1991, serving in the Fort Campbell 101st air-assault and the Alaskan E troop 1st Air Cavalry as a power plant repairman. After getting out of service in 1991, Mr. Thorton was severely injured in an explosion while working as a civilian contractor defueling a five-thousand-gallon gas tanker. He sustained multiple injuries including: blinded in left eye, broken L4-L5 vertebrae, broke both legs, broken ribs, and the major broken T4 vertebrae. This has left Mr. Thorton paraplegic and unable to walk. Despite this major accident, Mr. Thorton has still remained physically active, especially when it comes to being out in the ocean and surfing. He has experimented with several different ways to surf, finding that using a waveski is the easiest for him. The challenge for Mr. Thorton comes when launching his waveski into the water. The waveski itself weighs a considerable amount and along with disability, makes it difficult to get into the water. Our team has been challenged with the task of designing and building a device that allows Mr. Thorton, or any other individual with paraplegia, to independently enter the ocean on their waveski.
Adaptive Freedom Foundation is dedicated to offering open water experiences to all people with disabilities (from wounded veterans to children born with disabilities) who are typically excluded due to their mobility issues. Adaptive Freedom Foundation’s main goal is to promote accessibility and inclusion through the adaption of ocean activities, specifically paddle boarding. Adaptive Freedom Foundation utilizes a unique watercraft called the WASUP (Wheelchair Accessible Stand Up Paddleboard). The WASUP gives wheelchair-bound and immobile athletes the freedom to safely take to the water, gaining a feeling of accomplishment, fortitude, teamwork, and determination. The goal of this Challenge is to design and fabricate a new WASUP that will be used by people with disabilities to help them remain active and healthy as well as to help promote inclusion and empowerment. The three (3) WASUPs that are currently being utilized have been around for over 5 years but is somewhat limited due to the design, age, and durability. The goal is to create a new design to alleviate some of the current issues. Ideally, the new WASUP would: be extra buoyant and stable; easy to paddle and maneuver; be made from durable material; and most importantly transportable.
