Tag: Rehab

Stretchable E-Skin for Robotic Prostheses

Engineers at the University of British Columbia have collaborated with the Japanese automotive company Honda to develop an e-skin for robotic prostheses that allows such devices to sense their environment in significant detail. The soft skin is highly sensitive, letting robotic hands to perform tasks that require a significant degree of dexterity a (Read more...)

Glasses Provide Audible Prompts for Blind Wearers

A team at the University of Technology Sydney has developed an assistive technology for blind people and those with low vision. The system consists of glasses that can view their surroundings through an on-board camera, appraise the objects nearby using computer vision technology, and then play a sound that provides a cue for the wearer […]

A Wearable to Manage Parkinson’s Motor Symptoms: Interview with Lucy Jung, CEO at Charco Neurotech

Charco Neurotech, a medtech company based in the United Kingdom, has developed CUE1, a non-invasive wearable that is intended to assist those with Parkinson’s disease to manage their motor symptoms. The device is typically affixed to the sternum, and provides vibratory action in a focused region of the body. The technology is based on the […]

Robotic Ankle Helps with Postural Control in Amputees

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a robotic prosthetic ankle that can provide stability for lower limb amputees. The ankle uses electromyographic sensors placed on the sites of muscles in the residual limb that then convey the intentions of the wearer with regard to movement. So far, the system has been shown to […]

Optical Strain Sensors for Rehab

Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology in South Korea have developed a durable strain sensor that can detect complex body movements. The technology will be useful for patients undergoing physical rehabilitation, allowing physical therapists to assess their movements in significant detail and measure progress. Conventional stra (Read more...)

Brain Computer Interface Decodes Speech and Facial Expressions

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have developed a brain computer interface that can lets someone with severe paralysis communicate with both speech and facial expressions, in the form of a digital avatar. The breakthrough advances what has been possible, with previous brain computer interface systems providing speech only, (Read more...)

Semi-Automated Manufacture of E-Skin Sensors

Engineers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany have developed a system that allows them to semi automate the production of tactile sensors. Such sensors can provide robotic systems, such as robotic prostheses, with a sense of compression and tension with regard to the objects and surfaces they come in contact with. Most robotic […]

Above Elbow Amputee Controls Individual Bionic Fingers

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new technique that could allow above-elbow amputees to better use robotic prostheses, including making individual finger movements. Unlike below-elbow amputees, these patients have a more limited number of remnant muscles with which to produce fine control of multiple bioni (Read more...)

Artificial Muscle Changes Stiffness with Voltage

Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have developed an artificial muscle that can change from soft to hard in response to a voltage change. The technology aims to mimic human muscles in both its movements and in its ability to sense forces and deformation. The muscle is made using carbon nanotubes that have been […]

Smart Pants Track Physical Activity

Engineers at the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil have developed smart pants that can non-intrusively track physical movements and provide updates to caregivers if the people they’re taking care of are showing signs of distress. This application could be very useful for people who are monitoring elderly patients in healthcare faciliti (Read more...)

Robotic Glove Helps Stroke Patients Relearn Dexterity

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed a soft robotic glove that can assist stroke patients to relearn how to perform dexterous tasks with their hands. The glove contains soft actuators that helps patients to move their fingers as they perform tasks, and sensors that help to create tactile sensations. So far, the researchers have (Read more...)

Nanomagnet Patch Measures Muscle Movements

Researchers at UCLA have developed a wearable patch that can measure muscle movements in underlying tissues. The patch contains nanomagnets, and movements in underlying muscles can deform the resulting magnetic fields, creating an electric current. This both provides a readable signal for the system, and also means that the system is self-powered a (Read more...)

Flexible Knee Wearable Tracks Motion

Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design have created a flexible knee wearable that contains integrated circuitry within its knitted structure. The wearable can track joint movement in real time, assisting clinicians in spotting the early signs of movement disorders or allowing them to track the progress of patients undergoi (Read more...)

Empowering Stroke Survivors: Interview with Kirsten Carroll, General Manager at Kandu Health

Kandu Health, a digital health company based in California, has developed a platform to assist stroke survivors with aftercare. Healthcare for stroke patients is primarily focused on acute care to limit the damage caused by the stroke. However, the company has identified that stroke survivors are frequently underserved after hospital discharge, and (Read more...)

Smart Walking Stick for Visually Impaired People

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have developed a smart walking stick that can assist blind or visually impaired people to navigate their environment, from grocery shopping to finding a seat in a busy café. The system employs cameras to visualize the environment and items within it, such as products in a supermarket, [&he (Read more...)

Implantable Device Adheres to Muscle, Treats Atrophy

Scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard have developed a mechanically active gel-elastomer-nitinol tissue adhesive, otherwise known as MAGENTA. The implantable device functions as a soft robot, and it can be adhered to the outside of a muscle. When an electrical charge is applied to the device, a spring ins (Read more...)

Non-Invasive Spinal Modulation for Cerebral Palsy

SpineX, a medtech company based in California, has developed the Spinal Cord Innovation in Pediatrics (SCiP) device, a non-invasive spinal cord neuromodulation technology that is intended to treat children with cerebral palsy. The technology is designed to be used in conjunction with activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy with the goal of impro (Read more...)

Implanted Magnets for Prosthetic Control

Engineers at MIT have developed a system that could let users of robotic prostheses to more sensitively control their bionic limbs. The technology involves implanting pairs of small magnetic beads into muscles. When the muscles contract, the beads move closer together, allowing prosthetic devices to more precisely calculate a user’s intention (Read more...)