OCAD Tour de Force: Marco Polo

OCAD is having its graduate exhibition, Tour de Force, this weekend from May 11th to the 13th, and I'm be previewing my four picks of the litter in the four preceding days. How do I go about choosing which exhibits to feature? Well, I've had a look over everything, and I've made my decisions based on the awesome-o scale. The science behind this scale is shrouded in mystery, though, I assure you that the science is sound.

Today's OCAD Exhibit O'the Day is Naseer Roopani's Marco Polo. There won't be any bikinis involved, but Naseer might save a few lives, which I suppose is worthwhile.

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Face it. You ain't gettin' any younger. In fact, you look like you could use some Botox. Pretty soon you'll become a cyborg, outfitted with all sorts of hearing/smelling/etc aids.

High up on the list of the first things to go, though, is your sight. Vision loss affects a few kajillion people, and the problems only grow worse as you get older. Multiply this by the amount of medications you'll be on with the size 6 font instructions on a bottle no bigger than your thumb, and you're not asking, you're swallowing trouble.

Naseer has developed "a system that not only helps them identify their medications, but also helps manage them so patients are better aware of which medication they need to take, how many and when etc.

"The system also reminds the users and keeps a record of the medications they consume. This keeps them informed and prevents them from taking an overdose or under dose.

"[Naseer's] thesis project is an example of this great opportunity to positively impact the lives of those who suffer from vision loss and reduce some of their struggles and complexities in order to achieve the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of their lives. There is great potential in the field of Assistive Technology for designers to impact the lives of those who are in need."

What do I think? I'm hoping Brain Age will keep my mind, ears, and eyes sharp. The fact that I find the "game" boring as phyuck means that I'll probably end up looking to Naseer's work in the future, though, as I have no urge to swallow some liver meds when I was actually reaching for the blue pills.

Tour de Force
Friday May 11 to Sunday May 13, 11 am to 6 pm (Friday until 8 pm)
Venue: Main Campus at 100 McCaul Street, Toronto
Admission: pay-what-you-can

For more information, call the school at 416-977-6000.