Aggie seniors engineer accessible art tool for local disabled youth

Five mechanical engineering students at Utah State University were brought together to help disabled people in Utah develop their creativity. Together, they manufactured an all-ability accessible art tool.  

This semester, students Christopher McLaughlin, Alex Inn, Larry Catalasan, Landry Schvaneveldt and Hugo DuPont started their engineering capstone project for a local business, Jump the Moon.  

According to the Jump the Moon website, the company’s mission is to help those who are disabled express their creativity. To do this, the foundation provides creative teaching experiences to disabled youth through painting, ceramic and other art practices. Free classes are held throughout the week for those with disabilities and their friends.  

Pictured left to right Larry Schvaneveldt and Alex Inn cutting metal for the Jump The Moon project.

In partnership with the nonprofit art studio, this team of Aggies has crafted a new kind of accessible art machine, which allows anyone with limited motor skills to paint with a heated tabletop surface and crayons.  

“I originally wanted to take part in this project because it was an actual capstone project that was going to help my community,” Inn said.  

Prior to the project, the five had not worked together on any projects. Yet, by gaining an understanding of the needs of Jump the Moon the five found themselves in the perfect group to develop their product.  

Each bringing their own abilities and knowledge to the project, the team was able to create something to help disabled youth develop their creativity in the classroom and on the go.  

“The premise of the end product will be to allow those with limited mobility to take a color- combined crayon that can be melted by the heat emanating from this device,” McLaughlin said. “Once the crayon melts, the artist can move the melted crayon around to create their own works of art.”  

Pictured is the blueprints for the Jump the Moon robot.

The table can be used anywhere since it can be plugged into the project’s mechanical chair.  

“The energy the chair releases can allow those with limited motor function to use the device anywhere they want for around 30 minutes,” Schvaneveldt said.  

But the vision for their project was not always set in stone.  

Due to the larger measurements of the initial automotive chairs, the team’s initial prototype did not pass local fire regulations and was shut down by the fire department, according to McLaughlin.  

Yet, the adversity they faced only developed their passion for the project, bolstering the team forward.  

Jump the Moon’s founder, Michael Bingham, has worked closely with these students to create a product that is easy and fun to use for everyone. From the beginning of the project, Bingham met with the team to discuss the purpose of his organization and share his passion for the project.  

“I have gained passion from hearing Michael talk about this work and how it can help our community. It has really driven me to do my best work so that at the end he will be proud of it,” Schvaneveldt said.  

As works of art are created through this creation, it is Jump the Moon’s intent to sell them on their website, jumpthemoon.org. All the profits from artwork go to providing other art opportunities for individuals and groups who serve those with disabilities throughout the community.  

“We want to show the whole lifecycle from vision to design to building to awesome,” McLaughlin said.  

The team’s finished product will be on display for all Aggies to see at USU’s Senior Design Night on May 4 in the TSC 6-8 p.m.  

Photo by Katie Henderson.