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Design, Technology , and Engineering benefitting individuals
with disabilities and older adults in the local community |
February 10, 2021 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.
The Design and Control of Exoskeletons
This issue announces the next class session
and encourages
your participation in the course's Assistive Technology
Faire.
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Perspectives in Assistive
Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - entering its
fifteenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of
assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults.
It consists of semi-weekly online discussions; lectures by
notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; virtual
tours of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; student
project presentations and demonstrations; and a Virtual Assistive Technology
Faire. |
Course
News
Course Statistics -
Forty-three students have enrolled in the course, four students are auditing,
eleven vendors plan to participate in the Virtual Assistive Technology Faire,
and twenty-six students have chosen to work on nineteen projects, ten suggested
by six community members. |
Next class session -
Thursday, February 11th at 4:30pm PST via
Zoom
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The Design and
Control of Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation
Katherine Strausser, PhD
Ekso Bionics - Principal Controls Engineer |
Abstract: "Robots once were a dream of the
future, but they now creep into all aspects of our lives, whether it be
vacuuming our house or exploring distant planets. Rehabilitation and mobility
are no different. Exoskeletons can provide the motion and support that a user
cannot, supplementing or replacing their muscles to enable natural motion.
These devices can be used for mobility or for rehabilitation, but both uses
come with challenges. I will discuss the design and control of robotic
exoskeletons and the challenges faced when designing these devices."
Biosketch: Katherine Strausser holds a
Bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master's and PhD from
the University of California, Berkeley. She was one of three primary inventors
of Ekso 1, an electro-mechanical lower extremity exoskeleton and is currently a
senior controls engineer at Ekso Bionics working on control algorithms and
software for various research efforts focusing on the Human Machine
Interface.
Zoom Attendance
This class session will not
be open to community attendance - This decision has been made
due to the loss of audio quality during the first class session - mostly likely
due to the large number of attendees and a poor WiFi connection. For these
reasons, I must restrict Zoom attendance to enrolled students. Individuals
affiliated with Stanford can request to be invited to the class session.
However, I will provide the link to this recorded video session to anyone who
requests it. |
Upcoming class sessions:
Assistive Technology Faire
You are invited to participate
in the Virtual Assistive Technology Faire - This ninth annual
course event is scheduled for Thursday, February 25th and will provide
an opportunity for students and community members to get an up-close look at a
variety of assistive technology devices and learn about available services.
Users of assistive technology products as well as small companies
and agencies serving individuals with disabilities and older adults are
encouraged to join in on this virtual event. Please browse to the
Call for Assistive Technology Faire Participants
webpage for more information and contact me to register. Each vendor will
have 5 to 10 minutes of unopposed Zoom time to display, demonstrate, and
discuss their assistive technology products or services. Everyone is welcome to
attend the Faire. Ten vendors have signed up to participate so far.
Here is the line
up and slides from last year's
Faire. |
Other
Email
questions, comments, or suggestions - Please
email me if you have general
questions, comments, corncerns, or suggestions regarding the course. Thank you
again for your interest.
Dave
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To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please email
Dave. |
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