Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Richard L Goldberg

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

Outline n n n 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

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

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

Disability rights movement n In parallel with civil rights, centered at Berkeley n n n In 1962, Ed Roberts admitted to Berkeley In 1971, Center for Independent Living opened in Berkeley Before 1970 s, 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

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

Education Legislation n 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

Assistive Technology Legislation n n 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)

Research areas Augmentative communication Computer access

Research areas Ergonomics Prosthetics and Orthotics

Research areas Recreation transportation

Research areas Seating and wheeled mobility Sensory aids (hearing, vision)

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/

UNC and Duke projects n n 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 n n 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

Pop beads for clients at preschool n n n 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 popbeads gets boring!

Sensory stimulation pop beads n n Beads light up, vibrate, and play a song for 5 -10 seconds when connected or disconnected This makes the task more fun Inside of bead Battery recharging stand

Communication device for “Chris” n n n 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

Portable comm. device n n n 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

Sensory stimulation for “Jenny” n n 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

Jenny’s “sound wall” n Five modular blocks n n n Motorcycle handlebar Spinning flower Record / play Telephone Blank Commercial products were adapted so that she could access them

Work chair for “Emma” n n n 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 doesn’t 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

Retractable steps n n Face forward, and steps retract Turn to side, and steps extend n Uses file drawer slides, springs, and pulleys When chair rotates, it changes the angle of the file drawer slides Simple, safe, inconspicuous

Orientation device n n n 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

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

Conclusions n n 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

Acknowledgements n n n 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

Any questions? n Resources n n n UNC web site: http: //www. bme. unc. edu/~rlg/rehab. Design Duke web site: http: //www. duke. edu/~lnb/bme 260 NSF web site: http: //nsf-pad. bme. uconn. edu/