Monday, February 22, 2010
Crutch Transforms Into a Scooter
Designer Dat Huynh has developed an idea for a hybrid between a crutch and a push scooter. Designed to help people with non-load bearing injuries to get around, we'd like to see something like this in action before giving it our blessings. One question is how do you change the scooter into a crutch without having a crutch to hold onto? Nevertheless, the idea seems inspired and might actually prove to be practical.
Yanko Design: A Knee-t Crutch on Wheels...
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
Leveraged Freedom Chair Brings Smart Mobility to Disabled Just About Anywhere in The World
Amos Winter, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at MIT, has developed an innovative wheelchair specifically for people living in the developing world. The device is really just a design concept that any bicycle repair shop should be able to replicate using already available bike parts. Because of this approach, small local manufacturers can custom build the chair and avoid time delays and the bureaucratic mess of dealing with aid agencies and intergovernmental institutions that are typically involved in similar projects.
From MIT press office:
The implementation began last summer, when Winter launched his first trial in East Africa with collaboration from the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya. He and Mario Bollini ‘09, Danielle DeLatte ‘11, Benjamin Judge ‘11 and Harrison O’Hanley ‘11, spent a month in Kenya building eight prototypes of the LFC. Each chair cost slightly less than $200 to make, which Winter said is roughly the price of a regular wheelchair in Kenya. Weighing about 65 pounds, or five to 10 pounds more than a regular wheelchair, the LFC was customized for the trial participants, who range in age and live near varied terrain in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Winter returned to Africa with MIT senior Tish Scolnik four months later to interview the participants and test the efficiency of the LFC for each user.What they learned from the “phenomenal feedback” is that although the LFC is more efficient than a regular wheelchair for plowing through mud and over big stones, it is still too wide and heavy. Winter will make the chair lighter by lowering the seat four inches and shifting the wheels back two inches, which will eliminate the need for the bulky mounting brackets that are currently used to attach the rear wheels to the chair.
In addition to reducing the width and weight, Winter will focus on improving the LFC for indoor use so that it functions just as well as a normal wheelchair when the levers are removed. He uses the desk chair/mountain bike analogy to describe how the LFC is intended to be used all day. Although someone might spend many hours each day sitting in a desk chair, it would be horrible to use that chair to commute to work, especially if the commute involved dirt roads. Similarly, while the mountain bike would be great for the commute, it would be awkward and uncomfortable to sit on all day at the office.
With the trial results, guidance from manufacturing collaborators and help from a group from his design class, Winter will use the IADB grant to design a new prototype and produce about 30 chairs for another trial that will begin in August in Guatemala. One crucial goal of the trip is to develop the manufacturing equipment that will be used to build the chairs for large-scale production, which Winter hopes will begin in 2011.
More from MIT: New wheelchair gets its first real-world test...
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Artificial Foot Reuses More Energy Every Step of The Way
At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor engineers have developed prosthetic foot technology that can intelligently transfer what would otherwise be lost energy into powering the foot's next step. Because more energy can be saved over currently available models, this technology should lead to smaller and lighter artificial legs.
In their energy-recycling foot, the engineers put the wasted walking energy to work enhancing the power of ankle push-off. The foot naturally captures the dissipated energy. A microcontroller tells the foot to return the energy to the system at precisely the right time.Based on metabolic rate measurements, the test subjects spent 14 percent more energy walking in energy-recycling artificial foot than they did walking naturally. That's a significant decrease from the 23 percent more energy they used in the conventional prosthetic foot, Kuo [Art Kuo, professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering] says.
"All prosthetic feet store and return energy, but they don't give you a choice about when and how. They just return it whenever they want," Kuo said. "This is the first device to release the energy in the right way to supplement push-off, and to do so without an external power source."
Other devices that boost push-off power use motors and require large batteries.
Because the energy-recycling foot takes advantage of power that would otherwise be lost, it uses less than 1 Watt of electricity through a small, portable battery.
Video of the device and relevant links after the fold:
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A Preview of BeBionic Artificial Hand
RSLSteeper out of Kent, UK is planning to release in May a new prosthetic hand that brings new functionality and supposedly a more natural and personalized look. The BeBionic hand is fully articulated with preprogrammed grips and a powered wrist. We contacted RSLSteeper to get more details on the new hand and here's their reply:
Initially, we are presenting our Bebionic adult sized, multi jointed hand and wrist, together with the associated control and power components and an advanced cosmetic skin.To give you a bit more information about the range it includes an adult sized hand that is fully articulating and features 4 grip patterns (key grip, power grip, pinch grip and finger point). The hand is controlled in a similar way to other myo-electric hands currently available: A user operates their prosthesis using controlled muscle contraction. Electronics measure electrical changes on the skin covering the control muscles and command individual actuators in the hand to provide the desired movements. Integrated electronics monitor movement of the mechanical elements, ensuring that their motion is smooth and co-ordinated. Operation becomes instinctive once the user has been properly trained to optimise performance. In-house designed software will allow the hand to be customised to each individual user.
The range will also include the world's first powered wrist combining 135 degrees rotation and 35 degrees of both flexion/extension and an advanced silicone skin which will be available in 19 colours with excellent definition and custom fitted nails.
Press release: Bebionic Pre-Launch World Premier ...
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wii Balance Board Shown To Be a Practical Replacement for Clinical Force Platforms
Force platforms are commonly used by physical therapists for assessing the balance of patients' postures, and for tracking progress of rehabilitation. The devices typically cost thousands of dollars, hence they can be prohibitively expensive for many clinics. To see if clinical measurements can be performed using a cheaper solution, researchers at University of Melbourne tested Nintendo's Wii Balance Board (WBB) against a laboratory-grade force platform (FP), and concluded that the cheaper option can provide results "suitable for the clinical setting". Perhaps the Wii Balance Board can be used for some entertaining exercises when not utilized for posture assessment.
From the study abstract:
Thirty subjects without lower limb pathology performed a combination of single and double leg standing balance tests with eyes open or closed on two separate occasions. Data from the WBB were acquired using a laptop computer. The test–retest reliability for COP path length for each of the testing devices, including a comparison of the WBB and FP data, was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland–Altman plots (BAP) and minimum detectable change (MDC). Both devices exhibited good to excellent COP path length test–retest reliability within-device (ICC = 0.66–0.94) and between-device (ICC = 0.77–0.89) on all testing protocols. Examination of the BAP revealed no relationship between the difference and the mean in any test, however the MDC values for the WBB did exceed those of the FP in three of the four tests. These findings suggest that the WBB is a valid tool for assessing standing balance. Given that the WBB is portable, widely available and a fraction of the cost of a FP, it could provide the average clinician with a standing balance assessment tool suitable for the clinical setting.
Abstract in Gain & Posture: Validity and reliability of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board for assessment of standing balance
Image credit: serafini
(hat tip: NewScientist)
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Rehab Gaming System Helps Kids With Cerebral Palsy
Researchers from Indiana University and Rutgers have been testing whether a specially designed video gaming system can help children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy improve their hand coordination. The results are promising, and underscore the value of modifying underlying technologies to suit the needs of the patients.
The three study participants were asked to exercise the affected hand about 30 minutes a day, five days a week using a specially fitted sensor glove linked to a remotely monitored videogame console installed in their home. Games, such as one making images appear ("sliders") were custom-developed at Rutgers, calibrated to the individual teen's hand functionality, included a screen avatar of the hand, and focused on improvement of whole hand function."Popular off-the-shelf games are targeted to people with normal hand and arm function and coordination. These games don't work for or benefit those with moderate-severe hemiplegic cerebral palsy and many other disorders that affect movement. They just aren't made to be used by or improve hands that can't pinch or grasp" said Golomb [Dr. Meredith R. Golomb, Indiana University School of Medicine associate professor of neurology].
In the future, physical therapists could remotely monitor patients' progress and make adjustments to the intensity of game play to allow progressive work on affected muscles.
Press release: Virtual reality tele-rehab improves hand function
Abstract in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: In-Home Virtual Reality Videogame Telerehabilitation in Adolescents With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy
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Friday, January 8, 2010
Computer Breath Controller May Give an Extra Hand
At the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Engadget got a chance to try out a new breath activated computer mouse controller from Zyxio out of Henderson, Nevada. The yet to be released device looks like it'll be marketed as an additional controller for video gamers and for other people doing tasks where the hands are already busy, like drivers. But if sufficiently effective, we might see it assist the disabled in controlling all kinds of helpful gadgets.
Here's Engadget's video:
More from Engadget...
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Monday, January 4, 2010
Microsoft Patents EMG Human-Computer Controllers
Microsoft has recently applied for a couple of patents that seek exclusive rights to use electromyography (EMG) as an input modality to control computers, consumer gadgets, and, hopefully, assistive devices for disabled folks. The system uses EMG sensors on the forearm, as well as other parts of the body, to detect and transmit motor unit action potentials.
The video below explains the advantages and demonstrates the use of hands-free EMG over traditional buttons and controllers to manipulate device settings.
More at Microsoft Research: Muscle-Computer Interfaces...
Patent applications at USPTO: RECOGNIZING GESTURES FROM FOREARM EMG SIGNALS; WEARABLE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY-BASED CONTROLLERS FOR HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE
(hat tip: TechFlash via Engadget)
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Device Helps Adjust Artificial Legs for More Natural Walking Gait
The New York Times is profiling a novel leg prosthesis fitting technology that helps automate a process that is currently very much a manual affair. The Compas from Orthocare Innovations out of Oklahoma City is a wireless device that attaches to the prosthetic leg and constantly monitors its movement, sending data back to a computer for software analysis.
From NYT:
Doug Bourgoyne has been trying the Compas system for the last few months at the Raymond G. Murphy V.A. Medical Center in Albuquerque, where he is clinical supervisor of the orthotics and prosthetics laboratory. The metal plate looks like a standard metal plate used within a prosthesis, he said, “but it is smarter.”The plate has silicon strain gauges to measure forces going through the prosthesis, said David Boone, the chief technology officer at Orthocare, and electronics to convert the information to digital form and memory so measurements can be stored.
The diagnostic module that is attached to the plate in the prosthesis during office visits contains a laser to project a line on the floor as the patient walks, and a gyroscope that measures the rotation of the limb, Dr. Boone said. Each module can be used with multiple patients.
Here's a fairly involved video demonstrating the use of the system:
Read on at the New York Times...
Product page: Compas...
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
At-Home Hand Training for Stroke Rehab
Students at Northeastern University are developing electronic gloves to help post stroke patients recover their motor skills. The Angle Tracking and Location at Home System (ATLAS) bimanual rehabilitation glove has sensors and a feedback mechanism that interfaces with a computer to allow hand training at home.
“In this project we were trying to develop a low-cost virtual-environment based glove system that can be used for motor retraining of the arm, hand, fingers and thumb in patients who have suffered a stroke,” Holden said. “The idea … is to keep the cost low enough and the features simple enough that patients can afford to buy one and use it independently in their homes.”Sivak noted that stroke patients often couldn’t continue with physical therapy, either because they can’t drive to the location or it’s too expensive. “With the glove, the idea is to create an affordable, at-home mechanism to help them regain fine motor skills.”
It works through a series of sensors to provide resistance in hand exercises. The glove is wired to a computer, which displays virtual reality games that sync to hand exercises, Sivak said, explaining that the games add an element of fun to the therapy.
Press release: Helping hands
Photo by Craig Bailey/Northeastern
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Custom Wheelchair Design Gives Triple Amputee Mobility, Style
Pride Mobility custom designed this minimalist wheelchair for Bryan Anderon, an Iraq war veteran. Bryan lost both of his legs and his left hand in an IED incident. Since the incident, he has been working as a spokesperson for Pride Mobility delivering a message of perseverance and determination to rehab patients all around the country. The wheelchair allows Bryan to continue his active lifestyle while folding for easy storage.
Read more about Bryan Anderson at Pride Mobility...
(Gizmodo via Yanko Design)
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Monday, December 14, 2009
X2 from Otto Bock Brings Smarts to Artificial Legs
The US Army is testing a new knee prosthesis from Otto Bock on 30 wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center. The X2 microprocessor knee was developed to provide more support and give the lower leg a more natural walking gait.
With the older C-Leg, many patients were dealing with knee and joint pain and once they began wearing the new X2, the patients saw relief almost immediately, said Adele Levine, a physical therapist at the center.Marine Gunnery Sgt. Marcus Wilson, one of patients at Walter Reed testing out the microprocessor knee, said “once I got the confidence to trust the leg, that it would do what it was supposed to do, I almost got immediate relief. No knee pain, hip pain, everything evened out.”
He shared that the leg has given him the ability to stand in any position and rest on the amputated side relieving pressure on his intact leg.
He also shared that the X2 has given him the ability to run again without having to switch to another leg.
The X2 microprocessor knee by Otto Bock HealthCare is the result of a project funded in support of the Military Amputee Research Program. The project is administered by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, or TATRC.
The project had the goal of developing "an electronically controlled prosthetic knee joint that meets the specific demands of military staff in real-world activity," said Troy Turner, Advanced Technology Research program manager at TATRC.
In 2005, the TATRC staff recognized that even the cutting-edge prosthetic devices weren’t good enough, Turner said.
“Otto Bock had the C-Leg, it was the best that was available, but not the best needed,” Turner said. He also said that they realized Soldiers needed a prosthetic knee with a longer battery life, the ability to walk and run backward and forward and go up stairs foot over foot.
Otto Bock developed a proposal that was later funded and has developed a new knee that has more durability and functionality, extended battery life, remote control functions and can handle higher weight limits.
Press release from Walter Reed: Patients at Walter Reed testing next-generation prosthesis
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Friday, December 11, 2009
Vocalizations Return to Paralyzed Man, Via Wireless Brain-Computer Interface
Locked-In Syndrome is one of the most terrifying brain lesions -- leaving patients aware but almost entirely without the power to move. Now, a collaboration of American academic researchers has implanted a wireless brain-machine interface, developed by Neural Signals of Duluth Georgia, into a locked-in subject who is almost completely paralyzed.
The system uses brain electrodes to read signals meant for jaw and mouth muscles. An FM radio is used to transmit these brain signals to a computer, which transforms them into recognizable sounds. Currently the system is only able to produce vowels, but with more electrodes and more powerful algorithms it should be able to scale up to fully vocalized words.
From the article abstract in PLoS ONE:
BackgroundBrain-machine interfaces (BMIs) involving electrodes implanted into the human cerebral cortex have recently been developed in an attempt to restore function to profoundly paralyzed individuals. Current BMIs for restoring communication can provide important capabilities via a typing process, but unfortunately they are only capable of slow communication rates. In the current study we use a novel approach to speech restoration in which we decode continuous auditory parameters for a real-time speech synthesizer from neuronal activity in motor cortex during attempted speech.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Neural signals recorded by a Neurotrophic Electrode implanted in a speech-related region of the left precentral gyrus of a human volunteer suffering from locked-in syndrome, characterized by near-total paralysis with spared cognition, were transmitted wirelessly across the scalp and used to drive a speech synthesizer. A Kalman filter-based decoder translated the neural signals generated during attempted speech into continuous parameters for controlling a synthesizer that provided immediate (within 50 ms) auditory feedback of the decoded sound. Accuracy of the volunteer's vowel productions with the synthesizer improved quickly with practice, with a 25% improvement in average hit rate (from 45% to 70%) and 46% decrease in average endpoint error from the first to the last block of a three-vowel task.
Conclusions/Significance
Our results support the feasibility of neural prostheses that may have the potential to provide near-conversational synthetic speech output for individuals with severely impaired speech motor control. They also provide an initial glimpse into the functional properties of neurons in speech motor cortical areas.
Here's the visual and audio feedback as presented to the locked-in man during tests:
Side image: (A) Left panels: Axial (top) and sagittal (bottom) slices showing brain activity along the precentral gyrus during a word generation fMRI task prior to implantation. Red lines denote pre-central sulcus; yellow lines denote central sulcus. Right panels: Corresponding images from a post-implant CT scan showing location of electrode. (B) 3D CT image showing electrode wire entering dura mater. Subcutaneous electronics are visible above the electrode wire, on top of the skull.
More at Wired: Wireless Brain-to-Computer Connection Synthesizes Speech
Article in PLoS ONE: A Wireless Brain-Machine Interface for Real-Time Speech Synthesis
Link: Neural Signals homepage...
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
Track Driven Wheelchair for Off-Road Adventure
We've covered all-terrain motorized wheelchairs before (1,2) and you know what? These "tank-chairs" are awesome and so we're talking about it again.
The latest company to enter the fray is Action Manufacturing of Marshall, MN, makers of the Action Trackchair. If you're paralyzed below the waist but have a hankering to explore a little off the beaten path, you've got a mini tank under you to help out.
Here's a report from KARE news:
Prices on Action's website run for $6000 for most models, though "Orange with Blue Metallic Splash" seems to be on sale for $5500.
Product page: Action Trackchair - off road wheelchair
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
ProDigits, World's First Powered Bionic Fingers, Coming to Market
Touch Bionics, a company out of Livingston, UK and Hilliard, Ohio known for its i-LIMB device, is making available a new finger prosthesis system. ProDigits, a customizable platform that can be adapted to the needs of individual patients, provides electronically powered artificial fingers that can grasp and manipulate objects. The new hand can also be used for more advanced tasks such as typing on a keyboard.
From the product page:
Each individually powered ProDigit or prosthetic finger provides myoelectric control that has never been possible before. Now patients or users with between 1-5 missing fingers have a solution for what was once a highly debilitating condition.There are physical criteria that dictate whether ProDigits are appropriate or not – candidates must have ‘Amputation at Transmetacarpal Level’ or higher of one or more fingers. It is possible to support candidates with a portion of the finger remaining, however, this does affect the aesthetics of the overall prosthesis.
The articulating digit underpins much of Touch Bionics’ technical advantage and it is this articulation that provides the biggest benefit to the patient or user. With the ability to bend, touch, pick-up and point – the ProDigits used within an overall prosthesis reflect the function of a natural hand more.
The modular nature of each ProDigit and the individually powered motor located within each digit means that the clinician can build a replacement prosthesis that is close to the patient or users missing anatomy. Solutions can be built to match the sound side or any remaining fingers. Thumb solutions can be built using either powered or non-powered options. Sockets are custom-designed and fabricated for each individual’s needs.
ProDigits can be controlled via inputs from either FSR (Force Sensitive Resistor) or Remote Electrodes – either input option is chosen on the basis of either the signal site, the available space and patient or user preference. The control strategy is based on a traditional myoelectric regime, however, Touch Bionics has developed Bluetooth™ enabled solutions that mean the clinician can adjust the finer motor functions to the specific patient or user. A unique stall feature allows patients or users to point single digits for typing, hand gestures or the use of a telephone – amongst other everyday tasks.
Press release: Touch Bionics unveils world's first bionic finger...
Product page: ProDigits™ - The Partial Hand Solution...
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Thursday, December 3, 2009
LifeHand Thought Powered Robotic Arm Unveiled
LifeHand, a European project to develop an implanted electrode controlled arm prosthesis just showed off it's first human subject that used the device for an entire month. Unlike many other prostheses, Pierpaolo Petruzziello was able to use pure thought to move the fingers of the hand and perform fairly advanced tasks.
Check out this video:
More from AP: Experts: Man controlled robotic hand with thoughts...
Press release translated from Italian by Google: LIFEHAND: REALIZZATO IL PRIMO COLLEGAMENTO 'PURO' TRA CERVELLO E MANO BIOMECCATRONICA A CINQUE DITA INDIPENDENTI...
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
DORA Robot Arm a New Accessory for Wheelchairs
Students at University of Massachusetts, Lowell developed a low cost robot arm specifically designed to open doors. They presented the DORA (Door Opening Robotic Arm) last week at the IEEE robotics conference in Woburn, Massachusetts, and the New Scientist is reporting that the device was able "to open doors with 14 different handles in 85 per cent of tests involving pushing the door and 65 per cent of pulling tests."
From the New Scientist:
To keep her device simple, Rapacki used a single motor and avoided the expense of cameras and elaborate sensors. Instead, a motor-driven set of gears extends the gripper towards the handle with its three fingers spread apart (see diagram).Rapacki first tried flexible neoprene fingers, thinking that they could bend to grasp the knob, but these proved too thick and soft. Stiff plastic fingers with plates to constrain their sideways motion proved much more effective.
She also added a slip clutch to the drive system, to allow the device to hold and turn the knob at the same time as pushing or pulling.
More from New Scientist...
Project page: Door Opening Robotic Arm (DORA)
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tactile Sensors Expand Ability of Prosthetic Technology
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Italy are continuing development of the Smart Hand prosthesis that features sensors and a feedback mechanism to bring feeling to patients equipped with the device. The prosthesis uses severed nerves as a channel for controlling motion and for sending sensory information from fingertips back to the brain.
Here's a look from the BBC of the Smart Hand system:
More from PhysOrg...
Project page: The SmartHand ...
Flashback: SmartHand: Thought Controlled Prosthesis That Patients Feel
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
New Intel Device Helps Overcome Problems With Reading, Learning
Intel has released a new gadget for people with vision problems, autism, dyslexia, and other conditions that can make reading difficult. With the Intel Reader you can take pictures of book pages, letters, and product labels and the device will read out the text back while showing magnified print on the screen. While designed to be used by people with certain disabilities, we can also see using this device to learn how to read a new language.
The Intel Reader, about the size of a paperback book, converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel® Atom™ processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.When the Intel Reader is used together with the Intel® Portable Capture Station, large amounts of text, such as a chapter or an entire book, can be easily captured for reading later. Users will have convenient and flexible access to a variety of printed materials, helping to not only increase their freedom, but improve their productivity and efficiency at school, work and home. The Intel Reader has been endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association as an important advance in assistive technology. Additionally, Intel is working with the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, the Council for Exceptional Children, Lighthouse International, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the National Federation of the Blind to help reach and address the needs of people who have difficulty reading print.
Press release: Ready, Set, Read: Intel® Reader Transforms Printed Text to Spoken Word ...
Product page: Intel Reader ...
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» Freedom Leg Replaces Crutches for Easier Mobility (November 5, 2009)
» AlterG M300 Trainer Takes The Strain Off Fragile Joints (October 27, 2009)
» The Power Loader Exoskeleton (October 7, 2009)
» Carrier: A New Concept for Wheelchair Design (September 29, 2009)
» Smart Robotic Hand May Improve Prosthetic Design (September 29, 2009)
» Cheap and Simple Braille Labeler (September 23, 2009)
» Japanese Firm Touts New Three Wheeled, Powered Wheelchair (August 28, 2009)
» With BrainPort Vision Technology One Day The Blind May See The World With The Tongue (August 17, 2009)
» Smart Cane Helps Bring Rehab Out of Rehab (August 7, 2009)
» Smart Cane For Blind Gives Local Awareness With Help of RFID (August 5, 2009)
» Blind Drivers Coming to Road Near You (July 20, 2009)
» The Access: Inclusive Fitness Equipment (July 15, 2009)
» It's a COGAIN World! Locked In People to Walk, Fly in Virtual Environments (July 13, 2009)
» CASBliP Technology Aims to Turn Ears Into Eyes for Blind (July 13, 2009)
» Tongue Controller Looks Promising For Paralyzed (July 6, 2009)
» Golfing Now Open to Disabled,Thanks to New Technology (June 30, 2009)
» Toyota Working on Thought Controlled Wheelchairs (June 29, 2009)
» UK's Healthcare System Needs Better Crutches (June 29, 2009)
» Smart Floor Hopes to Help Improve Walking Skills (June 25, 2009)
» Eadie Wheelchair That Features Stand Up Function (June 25, 2009)
» PK100 PowerKnee to Help Bad Legs Walk Again (June 16, 2009)
» Dean Kamen's Prosthetic Arm to Undergo Trials (June 5, 2009)
» Boomer Mobility Aid Wins Prize in Design Contest (June 4, 2009)
» EEG Used to Analyze Brain Recovery in Post Stroke Patients (May 27, 2009)
» $100 Brain Wave Powered Game from Mattel (May 26, 2009)
» New Video Demonstrating i-Limb from Touch Bionics (May 26, 2009)
» Robotics Used to Provide Therapy for Kids With Cerebral Palsy (May 20, 2009)
» Trilogy100: Smaller, Lighter, More Portable Ventilator from Philips (May 19, 2009)
» Camera Phones to Interpret Visible World for Blind (May 18, 2009)
» Wheelchairs For Disabled That Refuse To Be Handicapped (May 8, 2009)
» Mind-Controlled Wheelchair Runs on Thought (May 1, 2009)
» $20 Artificial Knee to Help Thousands in Developing World (April 29, 2009)
» Next Generation of Ossur Power Knee in Action (April 22, 2009)
» Wearable Wheelchair of the Future? (April 16, 2009)
» The Future of Legs Is Here, Well, in Detroit (April 15, 2009)
» Otto Bock MichelAngelo Bionic Hand Implanted in First Patient (April 2, 2009)
» The VIEW Image Magnifier Offers Portable Ergonomics (April 2, 2009)
» When Phones Can't Have Buttons Large Enough (April 1, 2009)
» Step-Hear Offers Road and Info Signs for The Blind (March 27, 2009)
» System to Monitor Muscle Movement During Exercise (March 3, 2009)
» Cell Phones Soon to Be Used as Tactile Listening Aids (March 2, 2009)
» Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Improves Prosthetic Control (February 11, 2009)
» Electric Muscle Stimulation May Help Stroke Victims Recover (February 11, 2009)
» When Function Follows Form in Prosthetic Design (February 10, 2009)
» Smart Chair Turns The Paralyzed Into Robowarriors (February 6, 2009)
» Start Treating Your Stuttering with iPhone (February 2, 2009)
» Radio Controlled Insect Demonstrates Cyborg Flight (February 2, 2009)
» Nexstim's Navigated Transcranial Brain Stimulation to Undergo Clinical Trial (January 27, 2009)
» Research Into Smart Therapeutic Exoskeleton (January 14, 2009)
» Would You Trust Your Patients to Twendy-One? (December 19, 2008)
» SmartHand: Thought Controlled Prosthesis That Patients Feel (December 15, 2008)
» fMRI Extracts Images From The Brain (December 12, 2008)
» Thinking Aloud...Interfacing With Speech (November 24, 2008)
» Wheel "Chare" of the Future: Form Beyond Function (November 24, 2008)
» Disabilities Can't Keep Commited Gamer from His PS3 (November 21, 2008)
» LegLifter Helps You Get In Bed (November 20, 2008)
» CoreTx for Stroke Rehab (November 13, 2008)
» Game Ready Hand Wrap for Rapid Rehab (November 10, 2008)
» Honda Makes Public New Robotic Walking Assist Device (November 7, 2008)
» Video: Brain Computer Interface Works as Virtual Hands on a Virtual Keyboard (November 3, 2008)
» Robodog, The Best Friend of The Future (October 24, 2008)
» HAL, The One That Walks, Goes on Sale (October 9, 2008)
» Stuck in a Cast? MyoSpare Wants to Exercise Your Unused Muscles (September 30, 2008)
» A Wheelchair With Ears and Brain (September 19, 2008)
» The Luke Arm at All Things D (September 12, 2008)
» More Aesthetics for Your Prosthetic (September 9, 2008)
» Lighter Robo Legs Thanks to Energy Recycling (September 9, 2008)
» A2B Tricycle for Disabled Children (September 2, 2008)
» Virtual Reality Walking Motivator (August 28, 2008)
» Neuro-Eye Therapy, a Vision Training Program, Improves Sight of Stroke Victims (August 7, 2008)
» Force-feedback Offerings from Haption (July 28, 2008)
» Copying Nature for More Convincing Prosthesis (July 25, 2008)
» A Slam-Dunk Design for a Wheelchair (July 23, 2008)
» Video of ReWalk Exoskeleton System (July 21, 2008)
» The Anti-Crutch from Roll-A-Bout (July 11, 2008)
» Tongue Controller Promises Better Device Interaction for Severely Disabled (July 1, 2008)
» Honda Walking Assist Device Update: Feasibility Testing (July 1, 2008)
» Chair-A-Table for Heavy Examinations (June 24, 2008)
» Mobile Rehab Monitoring With a Cell Phone (June 23, 2008)
» A More Natural Prosthetic Foot (June 20, 2008)
» Electric Muscle Stimulation with NeuRx Diaphragm Pacer: More Natural Breathing Without a Ventilator (June 18, 2008)
» Real Exercise for a Virtual World (June 18, 2008)
» No Paralysis in Second Life (June 17, 2008)
» ERGYS2 Shows Positive Results as Exercise Option for Paraplegics (June 13, 2008)
» Mechanical Hand With an Extra Sense of Touch (June 12, 2008)
» New Luke Arm Video (June 2, 2008)
» In the Works: MEMS Brain-Computer Interface (May 28, 2008)
» Bat Eyes for The Blind (May 20, 2008)
» MEMENTO Memory LifeBook Concept (May 12, 2008)
» Walking Assistant From Honda (May 5, 2008)
» Fluidhand: Prototype Prosthetic Device (April 29, 2008)
» VitalJacket: Heart Monitoring Shirt (April 25, 2008)
» Mind Reading for Robotic Limb Control (April 23, 2008)
» Ergoskin Shirt Concept for Posture Correction (April 18, 2008)
» "HAL, I've fallen and I can't get up. HAL, are you there?" (April 18, 2008)
» Palmtop Computing Helps Autistics Communicate (April 3, 2008)
» ReWalk Exoskeleton (March 31, 2008)
» Medgadgets for Walking Rehabilitation, Peace in Mideast (March 24, 2008)
» Scientists Describe New Method for Modeling Strain (March 19, 2008)
» Laser-Guided Robot Helps the Disabled (March 18, 2008)
» Design Concept: Wireless Walking Stick for Blind (March 10, 2008)
» iPoint Presenter Promises a New Human-Computer Mode of Communication (March 3, 2008)
» G-Trainer Weight Reducing Treadmill Approved as Medgadget by FDA (February 19, 2008)
» Light-based Hospital GPS (February 11, 2008)
» The Xtensor Rehab Glove (February 7, 2008)
» DARPA Backs Luke Arm (Updated below) (February 4, 2008)
» Update: Dean Kamen's Luke Arm (February 4, 2008)
» Carpentry For The Weak (January 30, 2008)
» Tongue Control Technology by Think-A-Move (January 28, 2008)
» Freedom - Collapsible Commode Chair (January 17, 2008)
» Easy Writing For The Disabled (January 17, 2008)
» Higher Contrast for Better Viewing (January 16, 2008)
» Testosterone + WheelChair = TANK CHAIR! (January 10, 2008)
» Biomechanical Analysis Interface from Organic Motion (January 8, 2008)
» SmartNav Hands Free Computer Interface (December 27, 2007)
» HydroPhysio™ Workout is Like a Waterbed for Treadmills (December 6, 2007)
» Cheap Technology for Better Stroke Rehab (December 6, 2007)
» ComforTrac Cervical Home Traction System (November 14, 2007)
» Brain2Robot Project (November 13, 2007)
» Coming Up: Tactile Video Displays (November 2, 2007)
» Dean Kamen's DARPA Arm in the Lab (October 15, 2007)
» Mystery Robotic Assist Walking Device (October 15, 2007)
» Vocal Joystick for Computer Interaction (October 9, 2007)
» NOA Wheelchair (October 5, 2007)
» Play the Pain Away (October 4, 2007)
» Nintendo Wii for Stroke Rehab (October 2, 2007)
» Less Bumping, More Guiding (September 26, 2007)
» The Mind as Joystick (September 4, 2007)
» Airic's_arm from Festos (August 24, 2007)
» The Showerbuddy™ (August 24, 2007)
» The Vanderbilt Arm: Mini Rocket Engine Powered Prosthesis (August 20, 2007)
» MySpace for Space Cadets (August 16, 2007)
» Lomak (Light Operated Mouse And Keyboard) Gets 2007 IDEA Gold (July 26, 2007)
» MAGICWHEELS™ Wins IDSA Award (July 26, 2007)
» PowerFoot One: Active Ankle-foot Prosthesis from MIT Unveiled (July 24, 2007)
» Roof Spider Awes, Terrifies, Transports (July 24, 2007)
» Video of i-LIMB Hand (July 19, 2007)
» World's First Bionic Hand Makes It to Market (July 18, 2007)
» RunBot: World's Fastest Walking Robot (July 13, 2007)
» Wii Balance Board (July 13, 2007)
» Bionic Lower Limbs Bring Smile to Tragic Victim (July 11, 2007)
» Myomo e100 NeuroRobotic System for Rehab and Assistance (July 11, 2007)
» Eustachian Tubes Get An Upgrade, Now Drive Wheelchairs (July 5, 2007)
» New Wheelchair Design Wins Autodesk Inventor Student Design Contest (July 5, 2007)
» Paralyzed Patients Can Walk Around in Virtual Worlds (June 27, 2007)
» X-Finger® Video (June 18, 2007)
» Sexy Porsche Pegasus Wheelchair (June 12, 2007)
» Math Used in Spam Filters Now Comes to the Neuroscience (June 1, 2007)
» The Future of Wound Healing: Autologous Patient Gels (May 22, 2007)
» Invent Now 2007 Winners: X-Finger (May 16, 2007)
» Student Unlocks The Power Of Music For People With Disabilities (May 14, 2007)
» Muscle Suit Will Give You Powers (May 14, 2007)
» Dream-Racer Radio Controlled Toys for Children and Young Adults with Physical Disabilities (May 10, 2007)
» The APOS System for Knee Osteoarthritis (May 7, 2007)
» Crutch Makeover : Flexability by qed (April 25, 2007)
» Soap Injection Shows Promise for Treating Paralysis (April 24, 2007)
» Lease an Exoskeleton in 2008! (April 20, 2007)
» Domo, an Assistive Robot (April 11, 2007)
» ULTrA: Upper Limb Training in Adults with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (April 6, 2007)
» MIT patents schematics for mechanical foot/ankle (April 4, 2007)
» Electronic Nerve Stimulator Enables Walking (March 22, 2007)
» NeuroRobotic Brace for Stroke Recovery (March 20, 2007)
» Neckpro: Cervical traction meets S&M (March 14, 2007)
» Locomat, an Automated Treadmill that Rebuilds Muscles after Stroke (February 26, 2007)
» Robotic Arm Aids in Grasping After Stroke (February 20, 2007)
» GRAViTONUS® Gaming System For Quadriplegics (February 13, 2007)
» CAREN: Virtual Reality for Rehab (February 12, 2007)
» Your Central Nervous System; Our Exoskeleton (February 9, 2007)
» A Wheelchair That Reads Your Mind (January 30, 2007)
» iBOT 4000: The Ultimate Wheelchair (January 5, 2007)
» Virtual Reality Helps Young Burn Patients (January 4, 2007)
» Robotics, Lasers And Wireless Technologies Make Driving Safer For Wheelchair Users (December 21, 2006)
» "My Spoon" Restores Independence (December 7, 2006)
» A Brain Chip to Control Paralyzed Limbs (December 1, 2006)
» Parafricta Fabric (November 29, 2006)
» Driving a Wheelchair with Your Shirt (November 21, 2006)
» New Stretch Relieves Pain from Plantar Fasciitis (November 6, 2006)
» Ultrasound for Back Pain? (November 3, 2006)
» Exoskeletons for Nurses, Patients (October 31, 2006)
» Stopping Bleeding in Seconds (October 11, 2006)
» HLPR Chair (October 3, 2006)
» Suzuki's Fuel Cell Wheelchair (October 2, 2006)
» Electronic Wheelchair with Next-generation Graphic Sensing System (September 25, 2006)
» The Frontier X5: Serious Offroad Power Chair Action (September 19, 2006)
» World's First "Bionic Woman" (September 15, 2006)
» Portable Device to Monitor Tiny 'Earthquakes' of Stress Fractures (September 13, 2006)
» Get Out of Bed, with Abnostrain (September 8, 2006)
» Rocket Technology Used to Develop a Physical Therapy Device (September 1, 2006)
» Xbox for Stroke Rehabilitation (August 30, 2006)
» System for Wearable Audio Navigation (SWAN) (August 17, 2006)
» Robo Suit Helps Quadriplegic (August 10, 2006)
» Forehead Retina System (August 8, 2006)
» Proprio Foot™ (August 7, 2006)
» The NESS L300&trade Lifts Up a Foot (July 31, 2006)
» Rheo-Knee: Walk Your Way (July 21, 2006)
» AutoAmbulator: Robotic Rehab for Neuro-Disease Patients (July 11, 2006)
» TREKINETIC - Ground Breaking Wheelchairs (June 22, 2006)
» Device to Aid People With Muscular Dystrophy (June 12, 2006)
» WL-16RIII Walkbot (June 1, 2006)
» Utah Electrode Array to Control Bionic Arm (May 24, 2006)
» The MuSmate Walking Aid (May 1, 2006)
» Tankchair! (April 25, 2006)
» Crutches That Fold (March 29, 2006)
» Turn the Other Cheek (February 6, 2006)
» Functional Electrical Stimulation Shows Promise (December 15, 2005)
» Like Marriage, Like Health (December 15, 2005)
» The Cyberhand (November 30, 2005)
» MIST: Blast Your Wounds Back to Health (November 18, 2005)
» Dogs Are Truly Man's Best Friend (November 16, 2005)
» //MUKANA for Visually Impaired (November 8, 2005)
» Spazz and the New Disabled Chic (October 20, 2005)
» The Sunderland Air Pressure Meter (October 18, 2005)
» Electric Kenguru for the Disabled (October 13, 2005)
» New Upper Extremity Prosthetics Don't Cut It (October 6, 2005)
» Simulator Can Help Stroke Patients Drive Again (September 28, 2005)
» The Southampton Remedi-Hand (September 8, 2005)
» The KineAssist™ Rehab Robot (August 10, 2005)
» The Active Therapeutic Movement 2 (ATM2) (August 4, 2005)
» Anklebot for Stroke Patients (July 7, 2005)
» Weighted Back Support and Exercises Improve Balance, Decrease Risk of Falls in Older Women (July 6, 2005)
» Hand Mentor for Stroke Patients (June 28, 2005)
» "Bionic Arm" Technology from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (June 28, 2005)
» Robo-Legs (June 22, 2005)
» Haptics Systems For Stroke Patients (May 27, 2005)
» Video Games May Help Stroke Patients (May 16, 2005)
» "RUPERT": Robotic Upper Extremity Repetitive Therapy (May 6, 2005)
» HAL 3 (April 14, 2005)
» ParkWalker virtual imagery glasses (February 28, 2005)
