A touch of color: Engaging children with autism; other exhibits at SXSW

Published On:

February 22, 2016

Contact:

[email protected]

Social Media:

Share on:

A touch of color: Engaging children with autism; other exhibits at SXSW A gentle push on the stretched white fabric and the vibrant colors come alive. Children with autism find the visual feedback is altered based upon how much pressure they apply to interactive coloring textiles. The social sensory surfaces research at the University of Michigan aims to develop tools for skill-building with fine and gross motor control.

Researchers from architecture, computer science, music, civil engineering, information, interactive design, and occupational therapy came together for this sensory surface project, which is one five U-M exhibits featured at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, TX this week. Read more on sensory surfaces.

This marks the sixth straight year that U-M will share innovation, technology and entrepreneurship projects at the conference where more than 400,000 innovation tourists attend. The featured U-M innovations:

Driving technology into the future
Mcity, a unique 32-acre simulated mini-city on U-M’s Ann Arbor campus, is the world’s first facility designed expressly to test the performance and safety of connected and automated vehicles under controlled conditions. Read more.

3D printing: A second chance at life
Three babies with a terminal form of tracheobronchomalacia, which causes the airway to periodically collapse and prevents normal breathing, were the first in the world to be saved by a 3D printed device that held their airways open, allowing them to breathe. Read more.

From the laboratory to the gridiron
Concussions are an increasing concern for athletes of all ages and sizes. Researchers are using technology to better understand and identify concussions in athletes. Read more.

Shaping the Hackathon culture we helped create
MHacks, long the gold standard in university hackathons, teams up students to develop new hardware, software, programs and apps that range from quirky and cool to useful and potentially life-changing. Read more.

U-M Panels

Algorithmic Lunacy and What to Do About It
Christian Sandvig, Steelcase Research Professor and Associate Professor in Communication and Information, School of Information