MARS-RERC News continued
2009
November 20
At the IEEE 11th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR) in Kyoto, Japan, Heike Vallery received the Best Presentation Award for her presentation, Generalized Elasticities Improve Patient-Cooperative Control of Rehabilitation Robots.
November 15
KineAssist Publicity: http://www.robotspodcast.com we will demo at RIC's Skyrise event.
September
3DVIA Virtools assists the recovery program of patients severely injured at the hands, Read full article
MARS technology is translated to another hospital: The KineAssist® is now being used in the clinic at Alexian Brothers hospital in western suburban Chicago:
Read full story
Doctors Rymer and Patton were recently featured on IEEE TV, in a special roundtable discussion on recent advancements in biomedical engineering in the treatment of serious neurological disorders during the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) 31st Annual International Conference (EMBC'09) in Minneapolis. Watch the clip
July 20
The Museum of Science and Industry’s Science Chicago is a year-long celebration of world-class scientific discoveries advanced right here in Chicago. Read the World of Biorobotics
May14
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Dan Grant, thanks researcher Dr. Jim Patton for demonstrating a research protocol utilizing robotics and virtual reality to enhance cognitive rehabilitation for traumatic brain injuries.
May 01
Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation has a new video that highlights the potential of robotics in Cerebral Palsy, Robotics - A New Hope In Cerebral Palsy.
April 18
RIC Academy is holding a Symposium on Stroke in Women. More information available at www.ricacademy.com. See the brochure.
February 16
Stroke & heart disease death rates are down: A new report published in the journal Circulation says 30 percent this decade, in fact. Good news, but the report warns about higher obesity changing this. Read the entire article.
February 10
RIC Technology Showcased on Discovery Channel A special on the KineAssist® – a walking-support therapy robot – recently aired on the Discovery Channel highlighting RIC’s crucial role in its development. The KineAssist® was created at RIC in response to the needs of stroke patients who were relearning to walk but whose fear of falling inhibited their progress.
Daria Tsoupikova, (UIC/EVL), Nikolay Stoykov. PhD. (RIC), Randy M. Vick. MS. ATR-BC. LCPC. (SAIC) presented the current status of development of the VR environment at the annual conference of the Illinois Art Therapy Association (IATA). The Power of Image, Brain, and Hand in Rehabilitation.
2008
September 19
An article last week in U.S. News & World Report featured both RIC’s KineAssist® and Armeo® robotic technologies used to help stroke victims recover mobility. Dr. Zev Rymer discussed robotic technologies for rehabilitation in stroke with the reporter and educated her on the evolution of robotics and the potential for future discoveries. Read the complete article.
July/August
The July/August issue of Stroke Connection highlights Sarah Housman’s work with the T-WREX, a non-robotic device used to help stroke patients improve their functional arm movement. The device reduces the effect of gravity in patients’ efforts to move a limb weakened by a stroke. Read about all three studies in the article.
July 10
Members of the RERC crack the codes for the Nintendo Wii-mote for using rehabilitation training.
June 1
MARS-RERC research publish a new article on the development of the KineAssist® Robot in a Special Issue of Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. Read the complete article.
May 19
Research conducted by RIC’s T. George Hornby, Ph.D., M.P.T. and colleagues is featured in U.S. News & World Report in an article titled “Stroke Survivors Walk Better After Human-assisted Rehabilitation.” Read the complete article.
April 22
New Robotic-Arm Device Aims to Assist in Stroke Recovery The Armeo® includes a robotic apparatus for the patient’s arm and a computer screen where the patient will see simulated everyday tasks such as pouring from a teapot or squeezing mustard from a bottle. Visit Armeo® at Hocoma's website.
March 28
The NCDDR now has an online Directory of Journals. Visit the NCDDR's Directory of Journals and Author Guidelines.
February
Chicago Hospital News Article on KineAssist®
January 25
Short address for MARS-RERC: www.MARS-RERC.org
2007
October 15
Research from the MARS-RERC has Resulted in a Commercial Product
Armeo®, commercialized by Hocoma (Zurich) in fall of 2007, resulted from prototyping and testing as part of the MARS RERC. Armeo assists people with a stroke in movement training by combining an adjustable arm support with a highly sensitive hand grip sensor and motivating computer simulations of activities of daily living. The system allows repetitive movement practice without the continuous presence of a therapist, and could be used in hospitals, private clinics, long-term care facilities and nursing homes to improve access to intensive therapy. Results from a randomized controlled trial conducted as part of the MARS RERC have demonstrated the efficacy of the system. Moreover, approximately 80% of patients rated the prototype device as more beneficial and less boring than conventional table-top therapy. Visit Armeo at Hocoma's website .
October 01
Department of Education Awards $5 Million to RIC for a Robotics Center
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) for Rehabilitation Robotics and Telemanipulation was awarded to Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. This is the second grant of its type awarded to RIC, which continues to build on its strengths in Robotic technology, studies of control of movement and rehabilitation. This center's name will continue to be Machines Assisting Recovery from Stroke Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (MARS-RERC). This is a 5-year award with six major sub-projects and will also expand the existing infrastructure for rehabilitation research and education at RIC.
