SENSORY SPACE

Students are often influenced by their environment, that’s why thousands of multi-sensory spaces have been sprouting in schools throughout the country to provide a safe and soothing space for students with disabilities. Naturally, our client, Michelle Grayson, yearned for one in her Intensive Learning Program at Broomfield High School. However, multi-sensory spaces can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 dollars.

Therefore, throughout the course of the semester our engineering team worked with Michelle and her students to ideate what components would be most fitting and cost effective. We landed on Bubble Tubes to facilitate relaxation and an LED  Etch-A-Sketch to facilitate stimulation. Our process in developing the bubble tubes began with building a single tube. We ordered LEDS, acquired a large bubble tube, air pumps, a check valve, 3/16” tubing, and multi-colored, glow in the dark decorative rocks. The design was exciting, but unsatisfied with one bubble tube, we drew up our ideas for the best bubble tube display. We decided on a three legged, rounded corner stand, with built in space efficient electrical housing, and a total of three bubble tubes. To take a 32x32 RGB LED screen from an LED panel to an LED Etch-A-Sketch, we bought a microcontroller, two potentiometers, and a button. We converted the potentiometers’ mechanical rotation to the  movement of lights in the x and y directions. Then we paired that with the capability to clear the screen with the touch of a button and implemented the whole system into a handheld wooden display. In the end, we were met with enthusiasm from our client who was ecstatic to gift her students with an escape from the everyday stresses of life.