Assistive technology
Self-care and improved mobility
A suite of online interventions provided substantial pain relief and improved mobility for patients with chronic knee pain, according to a study published online February 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The interventions
… READ MOREStanford University School of Medicine Clinical research led by Stanford University investigators has demonstrated that a brain-to-computer hookup can enable people with paralysis to type via direct brain control at the highest speeds
… READ MOREGazeSpeak runs on a smartphone and uses artificial intelligence to convert eye movements into speech, so a conversation partner can understand what is being said in real time. The eyes say it all. GazeSpeak, Enable Team, Microsoft
… READ MOREFor all the talk of self-driving vehicles revolutionizing transportation, the technology promises to do even more for the elderly and disabled by allowing them to enjoy sustained independence. Autonomous vehicles will allow aging Baby
… READ MOREThe OrbIT controller was custom designed to help children with cerebral palsy. David Hobbs photo. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability, affecting more than 34,000 Australians, and more than 17 million
… READ MORECarmel Majidi and Jonathan Malen of Carnegie Mellon University have developed a thermally conductive rubber material that represents a breakthrough for creating soft, stretchable machines and electronics. The findings were published
… READ MOREVery little in life slows Jillian Peters down. If you catch her in a hallway, the spunky seven-year-old is likely to race you in her hot-pink wheelchair. Cerebral palsy doesn’t define her. Video games are helping children with
… READ MOREResearchers at the University of Michigan (UM) are implementing a new orthotics and prosthetics outfitting system: 3D printed assistive devices that will be customized to individual patients’ needs and reach them faster than ever
… READ MOREIt all started when I was in rehab dealing with a particularly insensitive sales rep from a major mobility company who seemed far more concerned with an upcoming Hawaiian vacation than properly outfitting me with my first wheelchair.
… READ MOREHelping patients manage an orthotic device can be challenging, but doing so in the face of uneven terrain is a balancing act between stability, mobility, and strength. Device adjustments and rehabilitation protocols can help
… READ MOREI should have put his socks back on. The thought kept nagging me as I finished my clinic notes, replaying the afternoon in my head. My final patient of the day — a man with dementia — was a late addition to the schedule, after his
… READ MOREFor those with severe motor disabilities, mind-controlled prostheses have long offered a sliver of hope that they might one day be able to regain some semblance of autonomy. The Teleport uses a simple off-the-shelf brain control
… READ MOREProduct design consultancy Renfrew Group, in partnership with the NHS unveiled the innovative modular children’s wheelchair ‘Chair 4 Life’ system designed to address the unmet needs of disabled children at the
… READ MOREOn Dec. 21, 2016, Aron Anderson, a Swedish man, became the first person to reach the South Pole by sit ski. Anderson, a wheelchair user as a result of childhood cancer, completed a 21-day journey that took him some 398 miles from the
… READ MOREJames has a life-threatening condition, but he’s desperate to leave his mark on the world. An amazing new device could help him create a very personal legacy. James Dunn, from Whiston, and his newly-adapted camera, with, left to
… READ MOREI love how designer Manuel Hess put it… “a walker doesn’t have to look like a disease itself.” Harsh but SO true! His proposal for a walker, called PROSUS, ditches the stigma and is instead designed with dignity in mind. By
… READ MOREWHILL, the leader in intelligent personal electric vehicles (EVs), presents its new FDA-cleared vehicle, the Model M, at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. Whill, January 4, 2017 The Model M features patented omni-wheel technology to
… READ MORERehab pioneer Dr. Geoff Fernie’s innovative path from making Pink Floyd, Cream and other rock stars look good, to doing good for millions of people with disabilities. Dr. Geoff Fernie explains how FallsLab enables researchers to
… READ MORE‘It’s been really neat to watch because we never thought we would see it.’ Evelyn Moore, an Edmonton toddler who suffered paralysis after a tumour developed on her spine, is now standing on her own two feet with the
… READ MOREUnlike most cold-climate wheelers, Dave Kott can’t wait until the first snowfall at his Minnesota home. It’s then that he can put to the test his newly improved, homemade snow plow that runs with the use of actuators, similar to
… READ MOREVERA is an all-in-one device that utilizes a tele-rehab platform to help patients perform prescribed in-home exercise programs while monitoring their compliance and reporting results back to their physical therapists. The goal is to
… READ MOREStudy finds that home care is beneficial for the children, but it comes at great cost to family members or guardians. U.S. families provide nearly $36 billion [USD] annually in uncompensated medical care at home to children who have
… READ MORERyan. Alex. Siri. These are names of robotic voices that are often programmed on electronic tablets. They also become default identities for people with speech disorders who rely on technology to communicate. John Gregoire of Windham,
… READ MOREAlex Ghenis, Paula Larson, Ian Jaquiss and Ellen Stohl are four very different people with disabilities — with one similarity in common: Each agreed to share a day of their lives, taking us on a tour of what do they do, where they
… READ MOREWhy hire engineers with disabilities? They’re practiced problem solvers. Disabled engineers make great contributors—if they can get past the interview. On the Job: Kurt Driscoll had to go through endless interviews before finally
… READ MOREExperimental treatment improves grip, finger motion up to 300 percent in quadriplegics. Stimulator Bypasses Spine Injury, Helps Patients Move Hands. An experimental procedure involving an implanted spinal stimulator is showing early
… READ MOREThe Iris walker was designed with as much style as functionality. It’s lightweight, easy to use, easy to fold, and completely practical all while having a slim silhouette, tasteful colors, and a fashionable built-in bag for any
… READ MOREToyota and Segway inventor Dean Kamen have teamed to produce this stair-climbing, self-balancing, all-terrain mobility ninja. iBOT – An advanced mobility system restoring freedom and dignity. DEKA Research BBC 25 May 2016 A
… READ MOREJonathan Coleman holding a piece of G-Putty while his son Oisin holds a piece of Silly Putty. Irish Times, Naoise Culhane Photo Many composites blend stiff materials, such as glass or carbon fibers, into a softer elastic polymer
… READ MOREApparel manufacturers could play a vital role in helping people with disabilities navigate barriers. Approximately half of the respondents reported that they have declined to participate in activities or events because they lacked or
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