TOM@University Project in Spring Semester 2024

Sabancı University Faculty Member Süha Orhun Mutluergil shared the problems he encountered on campus and while teaching as a person with spinal cord paralysis with CIP 101 students in the TOM@University project. The project aims for students to develop solutions to the problems encountered and to produce a product in line with the feedback received.

Problem to Solution Workshop

Within the scope of the TOM@University project, a Problem to Solution Workshop was held by CIP Overvisor Baran Gül for CIP 101 students on April 3, 2024. The workshop aimed for students to experience and internalize the maker mentality. In the first stage of the workshop, the problems that people with disabilities may experience were discussed. Afterwards, the problems to be focused on were identified and solutions to these problems were developed. The applicability of the solutions was evaluated and more detailed modules were designed. After this process, the developmental aspects of the solutions were considered. Finally, it was planned how solution ideas could be developed in line with the feedback given to the solutions. 

Idea Development Workshop with Zülal Tannur

An idea development workshop was held on December 20, 2023 with Zülal Tannur, one of Sabancı Foundation's 14th Season Changemakers and founder of From Your Eyes, as part of the TOM@University project conducted within the CIP 101 course. Zülal Tannur talked about the founding and work of From Your Eyes, which designs visual experiences for a wide spectrum of people to machines. The workshop provided information about how vision technologies work and talked about the steps to develop and implement an idea to solve a problem.

TOM Ideathon Event

The TOM Ideathon event, which aims to produce solutions for the difficulties faced by visually impaired individuals when choosing clothes from their wardrobes, took place on November 8, 2023 at the Sabancı University campus. At the event, participants brainstormed and produced alternatives to solve a problem encountered in daily life. After the event, 3D Modeling trainings were also given to the participants in order to facilitate the implementation of the solutions produced.

TOM@University Project Open Day

TOM@University project was introduced at Sabancı University Orientation Week. Examples of TOM projects around the world were showcased for more than 100 students, such as a prototype that allows independent drawing, a mobility trainer designed to help toddlers have more independence in the indoor environment, and a flexible prosthesis that allows amputees to independently perform their daily tasks and hobbies. Additionally, projects made in the Civic Involvement Projects course, a hands-free shoe horn, dice box, drinking can opener, ring book holder and card holder were introduced with their sample products.

2023 TOM Global Innovation Challenge

The annual TOM Global Innovation Challenge is a competition among teams who have a passion to design, engineer, and create technological solutions. This competition contributes to TOM’s vision of creating affordable and open-source solutions, and by doing so has the potential to help people with disabilities around the world. A team from Sabancı University also participated in the competition held in 2023. The team, which developed an application called CODAssistant - (Communication Assistant for Deaf People), where hearing-impaired individuals can easily select their complaints when visiting the hospital, made it to the finals with this project they developed.

TOM Meeting Event

The meeting event of the TOM@University Project was held at CoSpace on April 5, 2023.  In this event, aimed at spreading the project to the campus, TOM Fellows Ali Eren Ak and Yiğit Karataş introduced the TOM@University Project and the TOM Fellowship Program. Then, an information tour about makerspace was held with the support of CoSpace and 3D Modeling training was provided.

TOM Supervisor Meeting

Students who led the team in the TOM@University Project introduced the project to the new team leaders. Within the scope of the project, the supervisor meeting was held on the Sabancı University campus on April 25, 2023, where experience was shared about idea generation, finding challenges and putting them into practice, and using the makerspace.

 TOM Build Party

The TOM Build Party event took place at Ayvalık Küçükköy Sabancı University Creative Technologies Atelier between 5-7 July 2022. 5 volunteer students from Sabancı University and 15 students from Ayvalık Anatolian High School participated in the project organized by Sabancı University Civic Involvement Projects. In the event, a dice box, key holder, nail clippers and violin prosthesis for those who do not have a hand or who cannot use their hands fully, and a walker for animals with disabilities were made using a 3D printer.