Category Archives: Human Assistance

TechBridgeWorld Wins Touch of Genius Prize For Braille Writing Tutor

The Braille Writing Tutor developed by the Robotics Institute’s TechBridgeWorld research group to help visually impaired students learn how to write Braille is the winner of the 2014 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation.

The $20,000 Touch of Genius prize recognizes technical innovations that promote Braille literacy. It is presented by the National Braille Press’ Center for Braille Innovation and is sponsored by the Gibney Family Foundation.

The automated tutors help students learn the skills of creating Braille characters with a slate and stylus. They have been field-tested in India, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Zambia and other nations where Braille typewriters and specialized keyboards, common in developed nations, are not readily available.

TechBridgeWorld Celebrates 10th Anniversary

2014 marks TechBridgeWorld’s 10-year anniversary of developing Technologies with a Global Heart.

TechBridgeWorld at Carnegie Mellon University is spearheading the innovation and implementation of technological solutions relevant and accessible to developing communities; using technology to build bridges rather than exacerbate divides.

Bio-Inspired Robotic Device Could Aid Ankle-Foot Rehabilitation

A soft, wearable device that mimics the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the lower leg could aid in the rehabilitation of patients with ankle-foot disorders such as drop foot, said Yong-Lae Park, an assistant professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University.

Park, working with collaborators at Harvard University, the University of Southern California, MIT and BioSensics, developed an active orthotic device using soft plastics and composite materials, instead of a rigid exoskeleton. The soft materials, combined with pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs), lightweight sensors and advanced control software, made it possible for the robotic device to achieve natural motions in the ankle.

The researchers reported on the development in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.

Park, who did the work while a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, said the same approach could be used to create rehabilitative devices for other joints of the body or even to create soft exoskeletons that increase the strength of the wearer.

Romibo Robot Designed to Assist in Social Therapy

The Romibo Robot Project is an evolving robot for motivation, education and social therapy. Our project goal is to improve research techniques through the use of robots and social therapies. The robot has been designed around applications for individuals with conditions including autism, traumatic brain injury and dementia. Romibo includes features taken from other therapeutic robots currently used in research, such as Keepon, Pleo and Paro. The Romibo Project stands out by providing a low-cost development platform while providing the necessary features for use in a wide range of social therapies. The platform features a fully customizable design, allowing for individual creativity, ease of assembly and experimentation. Romibo is a social robot, able to convey emotions, communicate socially, and form relationships with individuals.

Undergraduates design iPad app to track pressure ulcers

As part of Professor Anind Dey’s Designing Human-Centered Software course, a team of undergraduates designed and prototyped an iPad app to help nurses track, analyze, and treat clinical pressure ulcers. Their tool helps nurses collect data and photos of an ulcer over time, step through existing tests, keep track of repeated treatments, and analyze everything later.

While learning essential HCI methods such as contextual inquiry, the team spent months interviewing and shadowing physicians, researchers, and nursing staff at local hospitals and nursing homes. They identified problems in existing work flows and gather a clear understanding of the constraints of working in a hospital environment.

The team was comprised of undergraduates Jessica Aguero, MacKenzie Bates, Ryhan Hassan, Sukhada Kulkarni, and Stephanie Yeung.

Siewiorek Named Director of Quality of Life Technology Center

Daniel P. Siewiorek has been named director of the Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Center, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh are partners in the center, which focuses on creating intelligent systems that improve the quality of life for everyone while enabling older adults and people with disabilities.

Siewiorek, a longtime CMU faculty member who had been acting director since the fall of 2011, was selected for the position following a nine-month national search process. He succeeds Takeo Kanade, director emeritus and professor of computer science and robotics.