Disabled People can Regain Limbs' Use Using Robots

by Rajashri on  August 09, 2008 at 4:41 PM News on IT in Healthcare
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
Robots may help people with disabilities use their limbs significantly, according to a team of engineers and students from Rochester Institute of Technology.

The researchers say that their work is based on physiological information produced by the human body to improve the performance of external assistive devices, known as orthoses.

It may be noted that such devices enable people with physical disabilities-strokes or major spinal cord injuries-regain the use of their arms and legs.

"The data collected through this project will assist designers and engineers in developing more sophisticated assistive aids for individuals suffering from various neuromuscular diseases and musculoskeletal injuries," explains Edward Brown, assistant professor of electrical engineering at RIT and director of the Biomechatronics Learning Laboratory."

The researcher highlights the fact that people with ailments like muscular dystrophy have extremely weak muscles that waste away over time, and such patients find performing the simplest of physical tasks-like picking up a cup or holding a spoon-difficult.

Brown says that a robotic orthosis may take advantage of patients' residual strengths and any remaining physiological information in their limbs, such as an electromyographic signal produced in muscles, to enable them regain significant use of their limbs.

"Better orthotic technologies could ultimately help people suffering from this disease greatly enhance the quality of their life," Brown says.

The researchers are currently studying individuals with healthy muscles to develop a baseline.

Page 1 Page 1 | 2  Next
 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X

Medwonders Health Network

  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
News Categories:  
Child Health Center

News on IT in Healthcare

» Health Activists Go the Hi-Tech Way to Educate Kids on Health and Hygiene in Gujarat » Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring System Using Bluetooth Technology Developed
» Kinectacles: Specs to Help the Visually Challenged » Toxicity in Real Time Via Dip Chip
» Thought-Guided Robot Arm Helps Paralysed Woman Drink Coffee » Rapid Detection of Mutated Strains Via Virus 'Barcodes'
» Online Crowd Sourcing Game Allows Public to Aid in Malaria Diagnosis » Japanese Designer Invents Robot That Converts Voice into Heartbeat Pulse
Read More >>