I'm a bit overwhelmed by the parallel assignments (Week 8 and final project), but I suppose the condensed class timeframe limits the availability to spread them out.

I liked the discussion of simplifying and re-imagining uses for existing technologies rather than starting over.  Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are an example of this principle- while enabling them to differentiate different cardiac rhythms and decide upon the appropriate type of shock to administer involved adding in additional technology (vs traditional manual defibrillators used in a hospital setting), the user interface was kept very simple (usually just with a power button and button to discharge the shock when safe to do so).  This enables them to be used by bystanders with little to no medical training to perform lifesaving treatment.  While $1000 is still expensive for a low-resource setting, it is amazing that in this community there are devices mounted on the wall in many public buildings that could be used by a wide range of people to restart someone’s heart.  These same devices involve a fairly high degree of maintenance even when unused, though, as the batteries must be checked and replaced.

Delivery channels and availability of consumables and spare parts are also important to consider.  When I switched from insulin injections to using a pump I gained a lot in functionality, but I became dependent on a larger amount of parts.  Carrying said parts (and backups) on even a week-long backpacking trip wouldn’t be feasible, so my degree of freedom was actually reduced.