“We dream our life could be”: A new undergraduate course aimed at bringing emerging technologies its breakthrough applications

Abstract

This paper describes the insights that have been introduced in the course “Specific Theme Design” for the fourth year undergraduate students in Industrial Design Department, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MSE), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), and that is called “We dream our life could be”. Each year a specific topic will be chosen in “Specific Theme Design” according to the development of the emerging technology. In 2017 the course is focused on the new intelligent flexible materials application. Students produce novel, unexpected solutions and define feasible product idea based on technological opportunities of flexible materials, relevant user needs, anthropological research and scenario writing.