Technology has a large and sustained impact on human mobility and on how physical rehabilitation services are delivered. My research focuses on the application of computing and mobility technologies to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities and the elderly. Research and development activities include:
Rehabilitation Intelligent Mobility Systems (RIMS)
The Rehabilitation Intelligent Mobility Systems (RIMS) initiative focuses on developing, evaluating, and implementing intelligent assistive device and related technologies to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Recent advances in microprocessors, software, materials, and mechanical devices provide essential building blocks to add a level of intelligent decision-making and powered locomotion to mobility and therapeutic devices. The ability to sense our surroundings and change behaviour is essential for interacting with our environment. By incorporating decision-making capability into rehabilitation devices, an improved level of interaction with the environment can be achieved.
Wearable Robotics
Wearable robotics apply robotic technology to devices that augment or replace human motor tasks by integrating the human and robot into a single system. These systems are typically robotic exoskeletons (motorized/controllable shells) that fit over a person's limbs and provide motorized control or enhancement of human movement. Wearable robotic systems will have many advantages for the field of physical rehabilitation from enabling people to walk longer distances with less effort to reducing the risk of falls
Intelligent VR Systems for Physical Rehabilitation
Virtual Reality (VR) has been defined as "An artificial environment created with computer hardware and software and presented to the user in such a way that it appears and feels like a real environment". Our objective is not solely to replace the physical world with a virtual environment but to enhance the rehabilitation process in a manner that is difficult to replicate in the typical clinic. Intelligent VR systems will be capable of making decisions, based on rehabilitation-specialist-defined parameters, that more efficiently progresses clients through the rehabilitation process. Intelligent monitoring and feedback can also enhance the quality of information being provided to the specialist, thereby enhancing decision-making.
Mobility Research (MoRe)
MoRe brings together experts from a variety of fields to develop innovative solutions that enhance human mobility in the community and thereby improve quality of life. MoRe's research and development activities help people interact with the environment and their social group, return to work, and to achieve their mobility objectives. For people with disabilities, enhanced mobility will lead to increased independence, improved physical and psychosocial health, and the ability to overcome many environmental barriers. Enhanced rehabilitation approaches could also improve how patients progress through their treatment program. Research includes biomechanical/mobility analysis in the community (i.e., outside of the hospital and laboratory environments) and research on mobility in winter conditions.
mHealth
mHealth uses wearable and mobile technologies for healthcare applications, thereby providing appropriate rehabilitation services at the right place, right time, and right cost. My research uses smartphones to evaluate and understand a person’s quality of movement by using the integrated sensors, multimedia, communications, and processing power. Smartwatches and external sensors (instrumented prostheses, wheelchairs, etc.) can also be included to enhance the movement evaluation capabilities. Wearable video and augmented reality are also included for rehabilitation assessments and to augment physical rehabilitation tasks.
Software Published
- Biomechanics Augmented Reality. Google Play.
- TOHRC Walk Test. Google Play.
- TOHRC Walk Timer. Google Play.
- TOHRC Timed Up and Go (TUG).
- Motion Analysis Tools.
- TOHRC Data Logger for BlackBerry 10. BlackBerry World.
- TOHRC Biomechanics Augmented Reality. BlackBerry World.
- TOHRC Video Event Recorder. BlackBerry World.
- TOHRC Wearable Mobility Monitoring System (WMMS) Acc. BlackBerry World.
