Several industrial design student projects from the Fall 2016 Senior Living Studio, sponsored by SFCS and Autodesk, have won international design awards:

UPPO, a walker that promotes upright posture, won third place in the global Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge. The UPPO team is composed of Emma Lee, Gerrold Walker, Lane Herring, Genesis Solano, and Charlene Lertlumprasert. UPPO also received a Silver A’ Design Award in the Differently Abled and Seniors’ Assistance Design Category. (More info…)

Austin Ledzian and Mark Meardon’s Polaris responsive lighting system, which helps prevent falls by lighting a path, has received an honorable mention at the International Housewares Association (IHA) Competition in Chicago.

Industrial design students in the Fall 2016 Senior Living Studio presented their work to a professional audience at the By Design conference, Feb. 22, hosted by SFCS, a Roanoke architectural firm that specializes in housing for the elderly. The Senior Living Studio was led by industrial design and architecture faculty Nathan King, Brook Kennedy, and Bill Green, with guidance from retired IBM designer and guest instructor Loring Bixler. Students focused on finding new solutions to the challenges of aging.