Orthotics breakthrough helps children with cerebral palsy
12/06/2020
Researchers have confirmed that adapting fine-tuned splints in combination with the footwear used by children with cerebral palsy to help them walk can decrease the energy they use by as much as 33 percent.
Multifunctional e-glasses monitor health, protect eyes, control video game
03/06/2020
Fitness tracker bracelets and watches provide useful information, such as step count and heart rate, but they usually can't provide more detailed data about the wearer's health. Now, researchers have developed smart e-glasses that not only monitor a person's brain waves and body movements, but also can function as sunglasses and allow users to control a video game with eye motions.
Kirigami grips could help seniors keep their footing
03/06/2020
Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and MIT have developed pop-up shoe grips, inspired by snake skin, that can increase friction between the shoe and the ground. The assistive grips could be used, among other things, to reduce the risk of falling among older adults.
Researchers incorporate computer vision and uncertainty into AI for robotic prosthetics
02/06/2020
Researchers have developed new software that can be integrated with existing hardware to enable people using robotic prosthetics or exoskeletons to walk in a safer, more natural manner on different types of terrain. The new framework incorporates computer vision into prosthetic leg control, and includes robust AI algorithms that allow the software to better account for uncertainty.
Inexpensive retinal diagnostics via smartphone
27/05/2020
Retinal damage due to diabetes is now considered the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. In low- and middle-income countries, an eye examination via smartphone could help to detect changes at an early stage. This is shown by a new study carried out by scientists from the University of Bonn together with colleagues from Sankara Eye Hospital Bangalore (India).
A sole mate to prevent diabetic foot ulcers
25/05/2020
A new cooling insole developed by UT Southwestern scientists reduced the foot temperature of patients with diabetic neuropathy by several degrees, diminishing a significant risk factor for diabetic foot ulcers. This new device could eventually prevent thousands of amputations that take place worldwide each year because of this condition.
Knee osteoarthritis: Specially designed footwear reduces pain
20/05/2020
New research by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), the University of Toronto and the University of Bern Switzerland found: Wearing shoes specifically designed with a novel sole (biomechanical footwear) significantly reduces the pain associated with knee osteoarthritis.
Soft robotic exosuit makes stroke survivors walk faster and farther
18/05/2020
A research study in stroke survivors with chronic hemiparesis shows that soft exosuit technology can bring immediate improvements in walking speed and endurance tests.
Plug and Play: the world’s first ready-to-use bionic arm prosthesis developed and implanted
11/05/2020
Next milestone in the development of bionic arm prostheses: Oskar Aszmann's team in the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Limb Reconstruction at MedUni Vienna’s Department of Surgery has developed the world's first fully integrated bionic arm prosthesis that is ready to use – in keeping with the motto "Plug and Play".