6.811: Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology
Projects
Small teams of students will work with a client to develop assistive technology that meets his or her needs. These solutions may focus on perceptual, cognitive, motor, or age-related impairments. Project descriptions will be posted here once the course begins.
Client Meetings
For your first client meeting, you should:* introduce yourself to the client;
* determine his/her scheduling constraints and preferences; and
* schedule the next meeting before the end of the current one!
Don't get into any substantive discussion of the project over the phone or email; those conversations should happen during face-to-face meetings.
Either Tom or Professor Teller (or both) must join your first client meeting, so: once you have determined the times that all teammates and the client have available, email PPAT@csail.mit.edu with those times and we'll find one that works.
Reimbursement procedures
Regarding expenses: some of you will have to take the T or rent Zipcars to meet with clients. Please save your receipts for submission to Bryt for reimbursement; the class will cover them. Similarly, fees for Hobby Shop access, raw materials, devices, or fabrication costs will be reimbursed.Remember to state, whenever purchasing anything, that the purchase is *tax-exempt* due to MIT's non-profit status. You will have to give MIT's Federal tax ID number (042-103-594) to the vendor. (You may _also_ have to provide a printed copy of MIT's Form ST-2 (Certificate of Exemption), which can be downloaded using your MIT certificate.)
Any small purchase of a required component or raw material, under $50, you can make on your own; just email PPAT stating what you bought, why you bought it, and how much it cost. In order to be reimbursed, please provide a receipt to Bryt with date, vendor, cost, your name, and your mailing address.
For purchases of larger items (anything >= $50) - before you make the purchase - send email to PPAT as described above, requesting approval. We'll respond quickly either with an "OK," or a request for more information. (It is also probable that the course staff can place the order for you once it's approved, so that you are not out-of-pocket for these larger expenses.)
Of special note: please do not send large attachments to the PPAT list when submitting your request for purchase approval (or at any other time). We would prefer that you post your shopping carts or other large files to the PPAT wiki (see link in the left column of this page) and then email your request to the PPAT course staff. (Although McMaster-Carr (mcmaster.com) has the functionality of being able to email you your order directly (just fill out your order and then click on the 'Forward' link at the upper right side of the McMaster screen), please do _not_ use this to send your order to the course staff.)
Please contact TA Tom Lieber or Prof. Teller (ppat@csail.mit.edu) with any questions.
