Assistive Technology Program at University of RI

An assistive technology (AT) program has been established at URI to engage engineering students in developing devices for individuals with disabilities. The program provides a multidisciplinary learning environment for electrical, mechanical, and biomedical engineering designs, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship. The program also provides a unique opportunity for students to serve the community directly by applying their engineering skills.

In the spring of 1999 a partnership was formed between URI faculty and experts from regional hospitals and industry to apply engineering technologies to biological sciences and medicine. The URI Partnership in Physiological Measurements and Computing (PMC) received initial funding from URI for 3 years to establish research collaborations and improve laboratory facilities. One of the focal areas of the PMC Partnership is research to aid persons with disabilities.

In the summer of 2000, an internship program was established between URI and the RI Eleanor Slater Hospital. Under a contract with The Rhode Island Dept. of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals and partially funded by the PMC Partnership, the Biomedical Engineering Internship and Patient Intervention Program has been successfully implemented for the past 3 years. The purpose of the program is to engage URI students in research and development of AT for patients at the Slater and Zambarano Hospitals.

Currently, 18 URI Biomedical Engineering undergraduate students participate in the program. The students built the PowerScan 2000, a custom-designed environmental control unit for quadriplegic and cerebral palsy patients. There are 15 units currently used by patients at the Slater and Zambarano Hospitals and a dozen more under construction. Other new devices being developed include a voice-activated nurse call bell system (VANCall), PowerScan 3000 voice-activated ECU, ultrasonic vicinity remote control, and a multiport sip-and-puff switch. These projects have led to 2 pending US patents and more designs are in various stages of patent application.

URI faculty who have supervised these projects include Ying Sun and Frederick Vetter from biomedical engineering, Musa Jouaneh from mechanical engineering, and Tom Romeo from physical therapy. They work closely with the staff of Slater and Zambarano Hospitals. Their expertise in patents' needs and supervision of the installation of these devices are crucial to the success of this program. The efforts of James Benedict, Chief Operating Officer of Slater Hospitals and Adaptive Equipment Specialists Marc Duquette and Allan Ducharme are particularly acknowledged.

Last year Professor Musa Jouaneh along with Professors Robert Comerford (business administration) and Ying Sun received a grant from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) to develop a course in innovative AT devices. The two-semester course started in fall 2002. In the spring 2003 semester 25 senior-year students from biomedical engineering, business administration, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering are working together in 4 project teams. Each team conceives a novel AT device, constructs a prototype, develops a business plan for production and commercialization, and applies for a US patent. The 4 devices that the students are working on are a powered window opener, a motorized rotating tabletop, a robotic arm for reaching and grabbing, and a cabinet shelf lowering system.

We are very grateful to several experts who have come to our class, talked to the students and evaluated their projects. These experts include Gloria Stuart from TechACCESS, John Topping from URI Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Committee, Larry Weiss from ZYGO Industries, Jeff Mason from HealingHomes, and Steven Kanor from Enabling Devices.

In contrast to its relatively short history, the URI AT program has already proven to be successful as well as productive. Parallel to its educational mission, the program will continue to broaden its service to AT users in Rhode Island as well as other parts of the world through our collaboration with industries.

Article by Professor Ying Sun. For more information please contact Professor Sun by phone at 401-874-2515 or by e-mail at sun@ele.uri.edu.

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Last Revised: May 18, 2003