Giles, M. L., & Uehara, J., & Mota, H., & Singer, E. K., & Gilpin, M. R., & Potnuru, A., & Aftosmis, J. (2024, April), Hands-On Measurement and Instrumentation Course Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students  Paper presented at 2024 ASEE PSW Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada. 10.18260/1-2--46044

\bibitem{asee_peer_46044}
  Giles, M. L., \& Uehara, J., \& Mota, H., \& Singer, E. K., \& Gilpin, M. R., \& Potnuru, A., \& Aftosmis, J. (2024, April), \emph{Hands-On Measurement and Instrumentation Course Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students}
  Paper presented at 2024 ASEE PSW Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.
  10.18260/1-2--46044

Matthew Levi Giles, Joy Uehara, Haylee Mota, Emma Katharine Singer, Matthew R Gilpin, Akshay Potnuru, and Jessica Aftosmis.  "Hands-On Measurement and Instrumentation Course Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students".  2024 ASEE PSW Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2024, April.  ASEE Conferences, 2024.  https://peer.asee.org/46044 Internet.  11 Feb, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_46044}
  Matthew Levi Giles, Joy Uehara, Haylee Mota, Emma Katharine Singer, Matthew R Gilpin, Akshay Potnuru, and Jessica Aftosmis.
  "Hands-On Measurement and Instrumentation Course Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students".
  \emph{2024 ASEE PSW Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2024, April}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2024.
  https://peer.asee.org/46044 Internet.  11 Feb, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_46044
author = "Matthew Levi Giles, Joy Uehara, Haylee Mota, Emma Katharine Singer, Matthew R Gilpin, Akshay Potnuru, and Jessica Aftosmis"
title = "Hands-On Measurement and Instrumentation Course Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students"
booktitle = "2024 ASEE PSW Conference"
year = "2024"
month = "April"
address = "Las Vegas, Nevada"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/46044}
number = {10.18260/1-2--46044}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department at USC has adapted our hands-on “Mechoptronics” laboratory course for visually impaired students. This was accomplished through the creation of new accessibility tools and by adapting core parts of the laboratory experience away from non-accessible software such as LabView in favor of accessible software such as MATLAB. The objective of this project was to maintain the laboratory experience and allow for active learning and the moments of discovery in the laboratory which are essential to practical education. 
The first half of USC’s Mechoptronics course is teaching measurement and instrumentation and this was facilitated through the in-house creation of a “Tactile Oscilloscope.” This accessibility device used the Orbit Grafiti tactile display as an output for a standard laboratory oscilloscope. These two devices were bridged with custom MATLAB software allowing for the student use of controls and inputs on the standard oscilloscope while using the tactile display for signal output and auditory output for oscilloscope settings and measurements. The second half of Mechoptronics is focused on automation and control. This half of the course was adapted to use MATLAB scripting enabling the use of standard National Instruments hardware without relying on LabView’s visual programming language. 
The accessible curriculum recently developed at USC can serve as a roadmap for other schools working to adapt hands-on laboratory courses for the visually impaired. Furthermore, the development of our accessible curriculum has highlighted accessibility gaps present in commercial measurement and automation tools which will require additional customization and collaboration with commercial entities in the future. 

AU  - Matthew Levi Giles
AU  - Joy Uehara
AU  - Haylee Mota
AU  - Emma Katharine Singer
AU  - Matthew R Gilpin
AU  - Akshay Potnuru
AU  - Jessica Aftosmis
CY  - Las Vegas, Nevada
DA  - 2024/04/18
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Hands-On Measurement and Instrumentation Course Accessibility for Visually Impaired Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46044
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--46044
ER  -