INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

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NEWS RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS - For two engineering students at IUPUI, completing their senior design project meant more than just a grade on a transcript; it meant independence for a six-year-old disabled boy who has limited mobility.

With only partially developed limbs and an enlarged head, six-year-old Ian Farrar has never walked, much less run. The only way he can move himself at all is to roll short distances.

Thanks to the high-tech work of students Mike Venne and Scott Blackwell at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, the child now has the freedom of movement with the flick of a button.

As part of an on-going engineering program at the campus to aid disabled children, the two students specially modified a toy, battery-operated "jeep" to accommodate the boy's special needs. Using his fully-formed right arm, Ian can grasp a joy stick and drive the vehicle. Toy manufacturer Peg Perego donated the “jeep” and EDS provided the funding for the project.

"Most engineering students have analytical minds," said Dr. Chuck Dietzen, Ian's doctor and one of the coordinators of the program. "A project like this also gives them the opportunity to use their hearts."

Dietzen matches children who need, but cannot afford, specialized help devices with engineering students at IUPUI. All of the materials and time of the students for these projects are donated.

Venne, a 44-year-old software engineer who is just three credit hours short of receiving his degree in electrical engineering technology, worked on the project out of class this summer. Blackwell, who graduated in May with a degree in mechanical engineering technology, also worked on his own time to make sure the project was completed.

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