Magnetic skin to support people with quadriplegia
18/01/2021
A system that uses flexible, breathable magnetic skin allows people with severe quadriplegia to move around and choose their surroundings. Developed by KAUST researchers, the high-tech system relies on the user’s facial expressions to accomplish a wide variety of tasks, from moving down the street to using an elevator.
New sensor improves fall prevention for the elderly
07/12/2020
Senior citizens who are a little weaker or frail are often prone to falling. The FRADE concept of the Fraunhofer Center AICOS in Porto offers effective help with prevention. Sensor-based analysis of movements serves as a basis for a tailored training program. If the person actually falls, the system alerts the caregiver via text message. FRADE thus closes a major gap in health care.
Exercise classes reduce loneliness and social isolation in seniors
07/12/2020
Older adults who joined group exercise classes experienced decreased loneliness and social isolation, according to a new Cedars-Sinai study conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. The classes have continued virtually since March, and early results suggest the online versions are also effective.
Monitoring glaucoma at home
30/11/2020
Glaucoma is a chronic condition that affects cells at the back of the eye. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, and is responsible for 1 in 10 cases of serious sight impairment in the UK. Now, a study suggests that in the future glaucoma eye tests could be performed at home.
Young at heart with assistance robots
30/11/2020
Staying independent and in familiar surroundings as long as possible in old age – this is the wish of the most of us. It will be made possible by humanoid assistance robots that help people cope with everyday life and wearable robots that support the movements of the wearer. Research by scientists of KIT is aimed at making such futuristic robotic solutions suited for everyday life.
Exoskeletons can reduce strain also in health care
23/11/2020
Wearable exoskeletons are increasingly being used in physically demanding jobs to support good ergonomics and augment muscular strength. In ground-breaking studies led by researchers at Tampere University and LUT University in Finland, exoskeleton vests were worn by nurses to discover how the new technology would suit the special requirements of patient care.
Diabetes: Computer vision app allows easier monitoring
23/11/2020
A computer vision technology developed by University of Cambridge engineers has now been developed into a free mobile phone app for regular monitoring of glucose levels in people with diabetes.
Spinal cord injury: Exoskeleton-assisted walking improves mobility
16/11/2020
Exoskeletal-assisted walking is safe, feasible, and effective in individuals disabled by spinal cord injury, according to the results of a federally funded multi-site randomized clinical trial. The article "Mobility skills with exoskeletal-assisted walking in persons with SCI: Results from a three-center randomized clinical trial" was published August 4, 2020 in Frontiers in Robotics and AI.
Assistive technologies: CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition shows advances
16/11/2020
CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition: In total, 51 teams from 20 countries competed against each other, completing everyday tasks with the help of state-of-the-art assistance systems. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the teams competed for the first time in different time zones and locations. Apart from the winning teams, the technological advances attracted the most attention.
Rehabilitation: Improving the usability of exosceletons
11/11/2020
Wearable robots such as exoskeletons are often used in the rehabilitation of paretic patients. However, these exoskeletons work more or less without knowledge of the patients’ body internal information. PhD candidate Guillaume Durandau of the University of Twente is adding controllers to wearable robots so that intuitive human control is possible.
Smartwatch app alerts d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing users to different sounds
09/11/2020
Smartwatches offer people a private method for getting notifications about their surroundings – such as a phone call, health alerts or an upcoming package delivery. Now University of Washington researchers have developed SoundWatch, a smartwatch app for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people who want to be aware of nearby sounds.
Diabetes: Dietary counselling slows down the development of insulin resistance in children
09/11/2020
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that individualised and family-based physical activity and dietary counselling considerably slows down the development of insulin resistance, which is a precursor of type 2 diabetes, in 6–9-year-old children. Published in Diabetologia, the study focused on predominantly normal-weight children.
QPATH4MS: The digitization of the multiple sclerosis care pathway
06/10/2020
Cutting-edge, structured, and easily measurable – adjectives that describe how modern digital solutions assist the processing and availability of health data. This makes digitization and personalization essential building blocks – also when it comes to managing multiple sclerosis (MS).
Why inclusion is more important than ever amid the coronavirus crisis
25/06/2020
How are families of children with disabilities coping during the coronavirus crisis? A recent online survey asked this question, prompting over 1,600 participants to respond in just two weeks. What do the survey results reveal about the current state of society in terms of social participation and inclusion? We asked Dorothea Kugelmeier and Dr. Raimund Schmolze-Krahn, who launched the study.
SmAccLab: Smart auxiliary means for everyone
28/05/2019
Accessible and realistic – that’s how auxiliary aids should be in the eyes of Professor Carsten Zahout. Students at the Smart Accessibility Laboratory (SmAccLab) are working on technical solutions that fulfill these requirements and lead to increased participation for people with disabilities. REHACARE.com found out how product engineering and inclusion join forces.
"ichó brings people with and without dementia together and provides a way to share stories, experiences, and impressions."
22/04/2018
Like the golden sphere in the fairy tale of the Frog King, ichó (Greek for echo) is meant to bring back lost motor skills and cognitive functions to people with dementia. The project of four former graduates of the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences aims to offer individual support through a person’s favorite music or fairy tale.
HelpCamps: "Making assistive technology faster, more affordable and personalized"
23/11/2017
In accordance with the slogan "Nothing about us without us", the HelpCamps project aims at developing and implementing concepts and ideas together. To make this a reality, people with disabilities, companies from the assistive technology, care and assistance sectors, as well as stakeholders in the so-called maker movement and researchers, are brought together to network during various events.
Will software automatically describe movie plots in the near future?
18/07/2016
In order to understand the plot of a movie an audio version is very helpful for visually impaired people. Authors watch the whole movies and describe what happens in each scene. But wouldn’t it be possible for a computer software to do this kind of work? Researchers work on developing a program which automatically generates movie descriptions and reads them out.