Computer-aided communication: assistive technology promotes participation
29/04/2021
Whether it is voice recognition with or without eye tracking technology, educational or speech recognition software – assistive technology builds bridges that allow people to get in touch with their surroundings.
Support system to help the visually impaired navigate tactile paving
26/04/2021
With the advent of modern digital technology, researchers worldwide are trying to implement camera-based support systems to help visually impaired or blind people find and stay on tactile paving paths, as well as warn the user of impending obstacles.
Building bridges - communication software in focus
26/04/2021
Communication is an important cornerstone for social participation. It is therefore all the more important that the communication aids that are available are adapted to the people who need them. In our Topic of the Month, you can find out who is responsible for this and what difficulties still exist today, but also what is encouraging.
Assistive devices in the workplace: Making communication accessible
26/04/2021
Especially for blind and visually impaired people, the lack of or non-working augmentative communication devices frequently means that they have no prospect of participating in the workplace. We discussed with Bruno Behrendt from Papenmeier why screen readers are sometimes nothing more than pretty tools and learned why technical support is THE perennial issue when it comes to customer service.
Head support system HeadUp Collar: Communication at eye level
22/04/2021
Head support systems for ALS patients are often not sophisticated and resemble neck braces. The University of Sheffield developed the HeadUp Collar, which can be individually adapted to the needs of the patient. REHACARE.com asked Anita Ogale, Product Manager at ProWalk, what makes the new head support system so special.
Bionic eye: Computer model fosters potential improvements
19/04/2021
There are millions of people who face the loss of their eyesight from degenerative eye diseases. The genetic disorder retinitis pigmentosa alone affects 1 in 4,000 people worldwide. Today, there is technology available to offer partial eyesight to people with that syndrome.
Ottobock well-prepared for challenges of 2021 Paralympics
14/04/2021
The Corona pandemic led to the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics for a whole year. Never before have preparations for this international para sports event been so challenging – and this is also true for medical technology company Ottobock.
Stay up to date: Pride mobility and quantum rehab launch app
12/04/2021
Pride Mobility and Quantum Rehab have launched PQ-365, a new one-stop app for wherever you go, whenever you need it. PQ-365 includes everything Pride and Quantum-related, designed for providers and clinicians.
Advanced neck support technology transforms lives of ALS patients
07/04/2021
A revolutionary neck collar designed to ease pain and make everyday tasks such as eating and communicating much easier for patients living with motor neurone disease (ALS) is now available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
MDR: Funke Medical AG offers free online seminars
06/04/2021
The Funke Medical AG supports dealers and users by implementing the legal requirements of the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR). In a free online seminar of Funke Medical AG, interested parties will learn worth knowing facts about the most important innovations according to MDR 2017/745.
Low-tech devices for independence in old age
06/04/2021
The pandemic has exposed weaknesses in nursing homes, causing many families to rethink whether to keep an aging parent at home instead. Now a new study by UC San Francisco has found that many elderly Americans lack the basic self-care equipment that could enable them to live at home longer, postponing the need to move into residential care facilities.
Neuroscience-driven multisensory technologies for vision impaired
22/03/2021
Vision impairment is a pervasive problem facing nearly 2.2 billion people globally, according to the World Health Organization. But help is on the way: Neuroscientists are working at the cutting edge of technology and brain science to develop new ways for the vision impaired to navigate the world around them.
Self-walking exoskeletons: Engineers combine AI and wearable cameras
22/03/2021
Robotics researchers are developing exoskeletons and prosthetic legs capable of thinking and making control decisions on their own using sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Sporty and flexible biking – with the new TRETS from HASE BIKES
04/03/2021
On your bike, get set, go – the new TRETS from HASE BIKES makes this possible for children with neuromuscular disease. And the best thing about it? Since it has a medical aid registration number, German health insurance companies pay for or contribute to the purchase of the trike. REHACARE.com asked Dario Valenti to find out what makes TRETS unique and why working for HASE BIKES is so special.
Incontinence and stoma: assistive devices for a carefree life
02/03/2021
The reasons for living with incontinence or a stoma are as varied as the people affected themselves. Manufacturers of assistive devices are therefore particularly concerned that their products fit the users as well as possible. And they are also there to advise and support their customers. We will show you the variety of products and advice offers.
Incontinence: Effective management with the right aid and consultation service
02/03/2021
Incontinence comes with a list of misconceptions. Yet it is quite common and should not be a taboo subject. Incontinence affects many people: besides older adults, this includes pregnant women, people who are paralyzed or children. How do you manage incontinence and self-catheterization if you are affected and what are available product options and consultation services?
Strategies for optimal bowel management with stoma or TAI
02/03/2021
A variety of solutions can help when the intestines don’t work properly: a stoma is an artificial opening designed to treat disease, relieve symptoms and make life easier. Transanal irrigation (TAI) is another well-documented technique that helps remediate fecal incontinence and constipation. Medical device manufacturers and home care experts help find the best solution to every problem.
Jörg Dommershausen – That's how he rolls
24/02/2021
Jörg Dommershausen takes comprehensive care of his clients: He helps those affected to cope with changed circumstances in their professional and private lives after serious accidents. In addition to his counselling services, Dommershausen also produces two (German) podcasts and a guide. What is indispensable for his work with his clients and how he otherwise rolls, he tells us on REHACARE.com.
Sensor glasses: Move the wheelchair independently with your eyes
16/02/2021
The eyes play an important role in everyday communication, for example in recognising facial expressions. But for people with severely limited mobility, the eye makes much more possible: Equipped with the MyEcc Pupil, they can move their power wheelchair or a robotic arm independently. How do the glasses make all this possible? REHACARE.com asked Managing Director Thomas Rosner.
Lily Rice – That's how she rolls
10/02/2021
Lily Rice can usually be found at the skatepark, refining her WCMX techniques in her pink wheelchair. The training is paying off: Lily entered the scene in 2017, two years later she was Women's World Champion. It was only logical that her biggest challenge to date was in the halfpipe – what it was, who motivates her and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Myd'l: Diverse, innovative and individual – ramps for all occasions
28/01/2021
Shopping – especially in city centers – can quickly turn from pleasure to frustration. Namely, when stores are only accessible via one or more steps. The French company Myd'l has a solution ready for every barrier in terms of accessibility – whether private or business. Successfully active in international business for 22 years, the manufacturer now also offers its products in Germany.
Lilli Zeifert – That's how she rolls
27/01/2021
Lilli Zeifert has already seen a lot of the world. Perhaps that's why her great love is for what there is still to discover beyond the Earth: Whatever there is to find out about astrophysics – Lilli wants to know. Who she thinks are the smartest minds of all time, what she would like to discuss with them and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Ambient Assisted Living: Smart technology for self-determined living
14/01/2021
Opening the front door by voice or having a 3D camera under the ceiling that precisely detects falls and calls for help? There are no limits to the possibilities of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL). We show you which smart technical systems are now hidden behind this term and how they can contribute to more self-determination for people with disabilities.
More self-determination thanks to smart technologies
14/01/2021
Everyone wants to live a self-determined life, but it isn’t always easy to implement – especially if you are an older adult or live with a disability. Fortunately, there are systems that help promote autonomy and independence in your own home. Size doesn’t always matter as even little smart helpers can give users peace of mind and a feeling of security as they navigate everyday life.
Functionality meets design: the new adaptive sport equipment Spike
29/10/2020
Activities aiming at occupational therapy and rehabilitation are boring? Not necessarily! A new assistive exercise and sports equipment named Spike is not only designed to be fun, but also suitable for everybody who wants to get and stay fit. How this works for whom and what kind of history connects Spike with REHACARE? We asked!
Pro Walk: Overcoming foot drop one step at a time
24/09/2020
Safe walking without tripping or falling is challenging for people with foot drop. Luckily there are technologies that provide active support by using functional electrical stimulation (FES). Pro Walk GmbH delivers these types of foot drop systems. How do these devices allow users to complete everyday tasks? REHACARE.com asked Nico Riedl, Product Manager and Physiotherapist at Pro Walk GmbH.
Transfer boards by meinHOLTZ: "Assistive devices can be practical, modern and stylish at the same time"
28/02/2020
Is it a skateboard with no wheels? No, it’s a transfer board made by meinHOLTZ! These modern boards help people who use wheelchairs to easily move from one surface to another on their own. Not only does this make transfers easy, but the assistive devices also look stylish and sophisticated.
WheelAir: No more overheating for wheelchair users
30/01/2020
Overheating is a serious issue for people who use a wheelchair. Ice packs and water sprays used to help many of them in order to keep cool. But Corien Staels, Founder & Managing Director of WheelAir, wanted to find a technological solution for the problem of overheating. Since then the WheelAir concept is about to change lives.
Standing Ovation facilitates mobility at the workplace
12/12/2019
Sitting while standing up – Standing Ovation makes this oxymoron possible. The rail system with its C-shaped seat bar and seat lifting unit allows Austrian chef Peter Lammer to sustain his job despite an 80 percent disability rating pertaining to his legs. With REHACARE.com he talked about the invention that brought back his zest for life and the feedback he received at this year's trade fair.
Mobility: Overcoming barriers with Wheelblades
28/11/2019
Whether they are on vacation in the mountains or brave winter weather at home – people with mobility impairments want to take precautions to arrive safely at their destination. Patrick Mayer is personally affected by disability and developed two products that enable wheelchair and walking aid users to master these situations: Wheelblades and the SafetyFoot.
Adaptive eating utensils with a Twist: How Bravo Twist by ProWalk outsmarts Parkinson’s tremors
17/10/2019
We all know that food intake is essential for the survival of every living organism. Yet for humans, food can also be a great source of pleasure or even love. At any rate, it is an important part of our social life. But what happens if our own body throws a monkey wrench into our food intake by having a stroke or neurological disorder?
"Assistive devices help to actively join the meal"
22/08/2019
There are various different kinds of auxiliary means at REHACARE. And the drinking and eating aids are definitely among the popular ones. With its assistive devices the company Assistive Innovations bv from the Netherlands wants to help people with different disabilities to become more independent with eating. CEO Arthur Blom tells REHACARE.com more about classic and new products.
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.
"At the TUECHTIG coworking space, people with and without disabilities are working together – and not just next to each other"
22/03/2018
Maximum flexibility to encourage ideas, effectively sharing office space: coworking spaces have become a part of many major cities. In 2017, Berlin featured about one hundred of them, but none of them were comprehensively accessible. That’s something Stefanie Trzecinski from KOPF, HAND + FUSS gGmbH wanted to change. That was the moment, the idea for "TUECHTIG – Raum für Inklusion" was born.
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.
"Long cane for children is a 'facilitator'– the chance to independently accomplish something"
17/08/2017
The long cane offers the possibility to be independent and effectively mobile as a person with visual impairment. Children in particular could get used to him in a playful way. The association "Anderes sehen e.V." has co-developed the children's long cane. REHACARE.com spoke to Ellen Schweizer, the founder of the association, about the fact that inclusion is not a burden, but can bring joy.
"Inclusive communication design is both accessible and attractive"
15/06/2017
For many, recognizing and understanding characters is an important prerequisite to social participation. Inclusive communication design helps people with visual impairments to accomplish this. REHACARE.com spoke with designer and expert of the German Association for Blind and Visually Impaired People, Florian Adler. He has developed a digital guide to inclusive communication design.
"Horse riding is a sport people with and without impairments are able to experience together on equal footing"
20/04/2017
More self-confidence and independence – things you can learn from horse riding for example. People with disabilities can take this important step with "Rolli auf Trab" (English: Trotting with Wheelchairs). REHACARE.com spoke with Sandra Glöckler of "Rolli auf Trab" about the lust for life that horse riding inspires and the interaction and experiences with the animals.
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.
Blessing or curse? Using robots in the healthcare sector
21/06/2016
In the distant future? – But today already a reality: robot caregivers are designed to make the daily tasks of healthcare workers easier. Today these types of helpers are already being used in Japan. They lift people in need of care out of their beds, play cards with them or cuddle with dementia patients.
"Ability4Refugees platform wants to provide auxiliary means for refugees with disabilities"
24/05/2016
Many people who had to leave their home country traveled in a wheelchair or used crutches. The stress of this escape was at times even more exhausting and taxing for some than for others. REHACARE.com spoke with Sigrid Arnade (ISL e.V.) and Eva-Maria and Andreas Mohn (Andreas Mohn Foundation) about the Ability4Refugees platform that aims to improve the availability of auxiliary means for refugees.
"The robot facilitates and promotes the connection between children"
15/12/2015
A robot that provides a link between hospital and classroom? The project Avatar Kids makes this possible: acutely ill children are able to actively participate in school activities with the help of a tablet computer. The teacher facilitates the communication. REHACARE.com spoke with Philipp Mahler of Avatar Kids about the opportunities this project provides.
"Safe mobility starts with the right choice and adaptation of the wheelchair"
23/07/2015
Whether it’s a wheelchair or a walker – for people with disabilities, it is crucial to control their own mobility in a competent and safe manner. Yet not everyone truly feels confident in every situation with these assistive devices. That’s why REHACARE.com spoke with Nicole Seifert about ways to foster more trust in yourself and others.