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Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology

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In 1962, Ed Roberts admitted to Berkeley ... Work chair for 'Emma' Emma is an adult with autism who works at Orange Enterprises ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology


1
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive
Technology
  • Richard L. Goldberg
  • Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • and Duke University

2
Outline
  • What is rehabilitation engineering?
  • Influence of disability rights movement and
    federal legislation
  • Overview of rehabilitation engineering research
    areas
  • Projects built by UNC and Duke students
  • Conclusion

3
What is Rehabilitation Engineering?
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive
Technology Society of North America
  • Rehabilitation engineering
  • the application of science and technology to
    improving the quality of life of people with
    disabilities.
  • Assistive technology (AT)
  • products, devices or equipment that are used to
    maintain, increase or improve the functional
    capabilities of individuals with disabilities
    (1998 Tech Act)

4
What do rehab engineers do?
  • Work in
  • research lab
  • clinic
  • industry (i.e. product development lab)
  • Work with
  • Clients and their families, teachers, employers
  • Health care providers (MD, OT, PT, SLP)
  • More clinical work than other engineering fields
  • Engineers must learn how to work with people with
    disabilities

5
Disability rights movement
  • In parallel with civil rights, centered at
    Berkeley
  • In 1962, Ed Roberts admitted to Berkeley
  • In 1971, Center for Independent Living opened in
    Berkeley
  • Before 1970s, people with disabilities were not
    visible in our society
  • Since then, people with disabilities have been
    able to integrate
  • This has helped to fuel the growth in
    rehabilitation engineering

6
Civil rights legislation
  • Granted civil protections to people with
    disabilities
  • Cannot exclude individual from school, job, etc.
    because of their disability

7
Education Legislation
  • Guarantees the right to a free, appropriate
    public education for all children
  • Inclusion children w/disabilities in regular
    classroom
  • OT, PT, SLP services must be provided in school

8
Assistive Technology Legislation
  • Provided federal funds to states to develop
    programs for training and delivery of AT
  • i.e. NC assistive technology project,
    Pennsylvania Initiative on AT

Source University of Buffalo Assistive
Technology Training Online Project (ATTO)
9
Research areas
Augmentative communication
Computer access
10
Research areas
Ergonomics
Prosthetics and Orthotics
11
Research areas
Recreation
transportation
12
Research areas
Sensory aids (hearing, vision)
Seating and wheeled mobility
13
Research areas
Universal design
The design of products and environments to be
usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or
specialized design. Source NCSU Center for
Universal Design http//www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/
14
UNC and Duke projects
  • Project ideas proposed by health care provider in
    the community
  • Students in Rehabilitation Engineering Design
    class develop custom device in one semester
  • Device is delivered to client free of charge
  • Project development
  • Assess the abilities and limitations of the
    client
  • Propose a device that meets their needs
  • Ongoing interaction with client, family and
    therapists
  • Safety is crucial

15
Pop beads for clients at preschool
  • Public preschool for children with a variety of
    disabilities
  • Teachers use pop-beads to promote better motor
    control, arm strength, eye-hand coordination
  • Problem connecting pop-beads gets boring!

16
Sensory stimulation pop beads
  • Beads light up, vibrate, and play a song for 5-10
    seconds when connected or disconnected
  • This makes the task more fun

Battery recharging stand
Inside of bead
17
Communication device for Chris
  • Chris was born with a genetic condition that
    resulted in a variety of physical and cognitive
    limitations
  • Uses a walker or crawls to move around the
    classroom
  • Unable to speak intelligibly
  • Uses a simple communication device
  • Cannot access switches on commercial portable
    device

18
Portable comm. device
  • We developed a portable device, built into a
    denim vest
  • He could play back message by pulling on one of 4
    key chains
  • Teacher or parent could re-record these messages

19
Sensory stimulation for Jenny
  • Jenny is a 3 year old girl with athetoid cerebral
    palsy
  • She has poor arm and trunk strength
  • Her PT requested a device that used sensory
    stimulation to encourage her to reach forward and
    up
  • Commercial devices were not appropriate

20
Jennys sound wall
  • Five modular blocks
  • Motorcycle handlebar
  • Spinning flower
  • Record / play
  • Telephone
  • Blank
  • Commercial products were adapted so that she
    could access them

21
Work chair for Emma
  • Emma is an adult with autism who works at Orange
    Enterprises
  • She is 3 ft. tall
  • She needs a chair that is at an appropriate
    height for a 30 work surface
  • She needs to get in and out of her chair safely
  • She doesnt have strength to de-weight a
    standard office chair or pump up a barbershop
    chair
  • It must be simple to use because she gets upset
    when her routine is changed

22
Retractable steps
  • Uses file drawer slides, springs, and pulleys
  • When chair rotates, it changes the angle of the
    file drawer slides
  • Simple, safe, inconspicuous

Turn to side, and steps extend
Face forward, and steps retract
23
Orientation device
  • Preschool age children who are blind need to
    navigate around the home and classroom
  • Young children do not have the cognitive ability
    to use ultrasonic cane or other commercial
    devices
  • They need a simple device that helps them to
    navigate

24
AODieAcoustic Orientation Device
  • 5 beacons placed at different landmarks
  • i.e. desk, bathroom, etc.
  • Child holds control box
  • Box has 5 raised buttons, each with a different
    shape, that correspond to 5 beacons
  • When a button is pressed
  • The corresponding beacon beeps
  • The control box plays a prerecorded message, i.e.
    this is your desk
  • Simple to use!

25
Conclusions
  • Rehabilitation engineering and assistive
    technology can improve the quality of life for
    people with disabilities
  • Students have designed, built, and delivered a
    variety of custom assistive devices
  • Students have applied their engineering skills to
    address a real need for an individual
  • Response has been very positive, although there
    has been no formal evaluation of success

26
Acknowledgements
  • Students in Rehabilitation Engineering Design
    class at UNC and Duke
  • Teachers and therapists
  • Clients and their families who inspired the
    projects
  • Larry Bohs and Kevin Caves at Duke
  • Funded by NSF grant BES-9981867 and UNC Ueltschi
    Service Learning grant

27
Any questions?
  • Resources
  • UNC web site http//www.bme.unc.edu/rlg/rehabDes
    ign
  • Duke web site http//www.duke.edu/lnb/bme260
  • NSF web site http//nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/
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