TechSAge RERC is a five-year, multidisciplinary research center dedicated to understanding the needs of, and developing supportive technologies for, individuals aging with long-term impairments. Sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), TechSAge is currently in year 4 of 5 of the center. Keeping with the tradition of other RERCs, the TechSAge team coordinated a State of the Science Conference to showcase the cutting-edge research and development on technologies for aging with disability from Georgia Tech and beyond.
The conference kicked off with a keynote lecture by Michelle Putnam, Professor of Social Work at Simmons College, who is a leading researcher on the intersection of aging & disability policy. Afterward, attendees participated in open house reception showcasing aging & disability projects at Georgia Tech. Posters, demos, and more were on display from the following organizations: RERC TechSAge, CATEA (Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access), AMAC Accessibility Solutions & Research Center, Aware Home Research Initiative, HFA (Human Factors and Aging) Lab, and Wireless RERC. Attendees also had the chance to take a Stinger Shuttle for a tour of Georgia Tech’s Aware Home.
Day 2 began with a special Design and Technologies for Healthy Aging (DATHA) Talk Event: “State of the Science in Technologies to Support Successful Aging with Disability”. This morning session included two tracks focused on personal technologies (e.g., wearables, assistive robots, gaming) and environmental technologies (e.g., embedded technologies, wayfinding, smart homes and communities). Speakers and panelists included prominent researchers & professionals in personal and environmental technologies for aging and disability including Georgia Tech faculty Beth Mynatt, Wayne Li, and Ayanna Howard as well as representatives from the Atlanta Regional Commission, Northwestern University, Simon Fraser University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
TechSAge investigators and invited participants convened in the afternoon for breakout groups, with the goal of identifying next steps for the RERC. Continuing with the theme of the day, breakout groups were focused on identifying important problem areas for people aging with disability and potential solutions that incorporate personal & environmental technologies. The discussion further illuminated the need for integrated technology solutions that are accessible and customizable to support this population. Emerging ideas from this dynamic brainstorming session and the State of the Science conference as a whole are being carried forward to set the research agenda for TechSAge II. Efforts are underway to prepare for the competitive grant renewal in 2018.
Recordings of the State of the Science conference presentations are archived on the TechSAge website here: http://techsage.gatech.edu/videos
]]>Jon Sanford, director of the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) and a professor in the School of Industrial Design, was among Georgia Tech researchers quoted in the article, Smart Cities. It examines Georgia Tech’s research on ways to make cities more functional and more desirable places to live and work.
Sanford’s area of expertise is universal design and design for aging. He and his colleagures at CATEA and the Center for Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) are developing an app, known as ALIGN, that helps people navigate urban streets and sidewalks.
“Aging may not seem like part of the smart city mix, but it should be,” says Sanford in the article. “Community mobility is crucial for older adults to successfully age in place.”
Sanford joined several other College of Design research faculty – Dennis Shelden, Matthew Swarts, Brian Stone, and Noah Posner – highlighted for their expert research and data that inform Georgia Tech’s smart cities initiative.
The 3D rendering at the top of the story was produced by the IMAGINE Lab, which is a part of CGIS, a research center in the College of Design.
See the image and read the full article in Research Horizons.
Zimring will be the only American among an international group of speakers at the Patient Safety Switzerland Symposium. The theme is “More patient safety by design: Systemic approaches for hospitals.” Patient Safety Switzerland is the country’s national foundation dedicated to safe medicine.
At this meeting “systemic approaches for evidence-based design will be presented and future visions will be discussed,” according to the symposium brochure. Medical professionals, risk and quality managers, experts in patient safety, engineers, and architects are among those expected to attend this symposium.
Zimring was invited to this conference to share his expertise. He is one of the founders of the use of evidence-based design, which involves making design decisions based on the best available evidence, often acquired through research or review of peer-reviewed journals.
“Prof. Zimring is one of the leading experts worldwide in the field of patient safety and design – that’s why we invited him to our symposium! We are looking forward to learning from his experiences and his expertise,” Prof. Dr. David Schwappach, Scientific Head of the Swiss Patient Safety Foundation, and Irene Kobler, a project manager with Patient Safety Switzerland, said in an email.
Zimring and his SimTigrate Design Lab focus on using design to create better and safer healthcare experiences, from intensive care units to surgical suites to patient rooms to outpatient care and more. The Lab's past and present partners include the Military Health System, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory Healthcare, Cherokee Indian Hospital, Mercy Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many others.
He said “preventable medical errors in healthcare facilities are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., resulting in 200,000-400,000 unnecessary deaths. Better design can reduce harms to patients.”
Zimring is also an environmental psychologist and professor in the School of Architecture in the College of Design at Georgia Tech.
]]>He had previously spoken before the Judiciary Committee advocating for the bill.
Vogel also presented to the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities on the importance of hiring people with disabilities. He said in an article, “I shared my belief that people with disabilities want the same opportunities to have as people who do not.”
He wrote about his experiences at the capitol in an article featured in the Georgia Council on Development Disabilities’ spring edition of the digital magazine Making a Difference.
Vogel is a student in Georgia Tech’s Expanding Career, Education and Leadership Opportunities (EXCEL) Program and will be returning to CATEA, a research center within the College of Design, in the summer and into the fall. He starts his third year in the Excel Program in August.
]]>Leigh is the associate dean for research in the College and last fall secured a grant from the National Science Foundation National Robotics Initiative to study the U.S. robotics industry and its economic impacts. She also is a professor in the School of City and Regional Planning.
She gave us her thoughts on robotics research and the industry.
1. Why should anyone research the robotics industry?
Robots are being developed and “employed” across the economy, on farms, in factories, warehouses, hotels and hospitals, to name just a few types of businesses using them. They will fundamentally transform daily life and work. Researchers are essential to making that transformation happen from a creative and technical perspective. They also have a key role to play in ensuring that robotics diffusion is not simply imposed upon society in a way the causes winners and losers, but, rather, leads to robotics’ full potential for enhancing all human experience and safeguarding the physical world.
2. How will robots affect city and regional planning?
City and regional planning includes a number of specializations that focus on the world in which we live, such as economic development, environment, housing, land use, and transportation. Robotics diffusion will affect all of these areas, but, currently, the most attention is being given to how autonomous vehicles (a kind of robot) will alter our transportation infrastructure, as well as greatly reduce the number of driver jobs.
3. Your peers are inventing and improving robots: What does Georgia Tech need to do to shape a future with robots?
We are already shaping a robotic future at Georgia Tech, but there is much to be done. Within the College of Design, in a great example of how robots can contribute to the arts and empowering those with disabilities, music Professor Gil Weinberg has developed a marimba-playing robotic musician that uses machine learning for jazz improvisation, as well as a prosthetic robotic arm for amputees that restores and enhances human drumming abilities. Associate Professor Russell Gentry offers a great example for architecture; he is using a Kuka robot for teaching robotic fabrication and for researching humans – robot collaboration in a fabrication setting.
4. What else should the Design academic community research about robots?
We have a major research focus on assistive technologies involving several schools and research centers of the College of Design and robots will be an increasing part of such technologies. How robots navigate existing street, sidewalk and building infrastructure, and how their presence might influence future design of such infrastructure is another rich research area. And how the deployment of robots in multiple economic sectors affects current and future jobs will be a critical economic development question tying in with many aspects of the Design academic community.
]]>AMAC is the perfect research center to assist the state. The research and service center at Georgia Tech’s College of Design, provides practical solutions for challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. The center offers services to help organizations bring their websites into compliance with accessibility laws.
The center also provides accessibility services to individuals, educational organizations, nonprofits as well as government and corporate entities. Learn more about the AMAC research center at amacresearch.gatech.edu. Many of AMAC’s research-driven services are provided through amacusg.org.
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Five College of Design instructors have won the 2016 Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award. This award is given to a maximum of 40 Georgia Tech teachers who received the best scores on the Course-Instructor Opinion Survey for the question, "Overall, this instructor is an effective teacher".
The prize includes a one-time pre-tax award of $1000 and having their name printed in the Celebrating Teaching Day (March 14, 2017) program.
Michael Gamble, an associate professor in the School of Architecture, won the award for instructing ARCH 6069: Advanced Architecture Design I. Gamble also won the award in 2015, 2013, and 2012. He is the director of graduate studies for the School of Architecture, creative director for Gamble + Gamble Architects in Atlanta, and known for examining the environmental impact of design decisions, notably through his work with housing, energy, and building technologies.
Gamble’s research has received grants from: The Alcoa Foundation, The Kendeda Foundation, Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development, and the National Endowments of the Arts. He also received First Prize for Research in an international competition sponsored by the Environmental Design and Research Association.
Dan Immergluck won the 2016 award for instructing CP 6630: Government and Housing Markets. He's won the award twice before, both for CP 6611 | Real Estate Finance and Development.
As a professor in the School of City & Regional Planning, Immergluck teaches courses in statistics, real estate finance, housing policy, and social justice and equity planning. Professor Immergluck’s research concerns affordable housing, neighborhood change, community development finance, economic development, and other topics. His applied research focuses on housing and development issues in Atlanta as well as cities around the country.
Dan is the author of four books, more than four dozen scholarly articles, numerous book chapters and encyclopedia entries, and scores of applied research reports. His scholarship is widely cited, and he has been quoted extensively in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and other media. He has testified several times before Congress and the Federal Reserve Board.
Young-Mi Choi, an associate professor in the School of Industrial Design, won the award for instructing ID 2022: ID Studio II. The class is set up to give students the chance to interact with a variety of users, such as users with spinal cord injuries confined to a wheelchair or users with visual impairments. This allows them to practice engagement techniques with real users, obtain feedback and test their designs.
Choi teaches product development, human factors, and ergonomics. Her research activities focus on applying evidence-based design in innovation and human-centered design. Her research focuses on topics related to the roles played by users, industrial designers, engineers, and marketers during the process of creating new products and assistive technologies. She is also the director of the I3 Lab and a project director with the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies (WIT RERC). She has received the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program Women of Excellence Award, Outstanding Faculty Award and multiple course teaching effectiveness awards.
Stephen Sprigle, a professor with appointments in Bioengineering, Industrial Design and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, won the award for instructing ID 6100 -- a required class for students in the Industrial Design and Human-Computer Interaction graduate programs.The class targets the science of design, professional ethics and responsible conduct of research. Students are challenged to think through the trade-offs between various design research methods, and discuss the history and profession of industrial design.
A biomedical engineer with a license in physical therapy, Sprigle directs the Rehabilitation Engineering and Applied Research Lab (REARLab), which focuses on applied disability research and development. The REARLab’s research interests include the biomechanics of wheelchair seating and posture, pressure ulcer prevention, and manual wheelchair propulsion. Its development activities include standardized wheelchair and cushion testing and the design of assistive and diagnostic technologies.
Jason Freeman, a professor in the School of Music, won the award for instructing MUSI 6003: Music Technology: History and Repertoire. His artistic practice and scholarly research focus on using technology to engage diverse audiences in collaborative, experimental, and accessible musical experiences. He also develops educational interventions (such as EarSketch) in K-12, university, and MOOC environments that broaden and increase engagement in STEM disciplines through authentic integrations of music and computing. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, exhibited at ACM SIGGRAPH, published by Universal Edition, broadcast on public radio’s Performance Today, and commissioned through support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Freeman’s wide-ranging work has attracted support from sources such as the National Science Foundation, Google, and Turbulence. He has published his research in leading conferences and journals such as Computer Music Journal, Organised Sound, NIME, and ACM SIGCSE. Freeman received his B.A. in music from Yale University and his M.A. and D.M.A. in composition from Columbia University.
]]>Click to read the full article "Georgia Tech Center Focuses on the Needs of Aging, Disabled Adults"
]]>As a finalist for the award, TechSAge was highlighted for its innovations in making environments more accessible to aging populations, and in creating a more user-friendly world—no matter what our abilities or age.
Other honorees included the Clarkston Community Center Senior Refugee Program, Amy’s Place, and award winner Dr. Monica Parker, who was recognized for her community outreach through Emory’s centers on Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Brain Health.
Held at the Atlanta History Center, the Groundbreaker Awards program was launched in 2012 with the goal of honoring the people and projects that make Atlanta a better place to live. The 12 honorees were recognized for meeting the challenges posed by aging head-on, with ingenuity, purpose, and compassion.
]]>AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center this year marks 10 years of providing products and services to those with disabilities.
Also this year, the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) moved from its location in a church on 10th Street to join AMAC in the same building on Means Street.
Being in the same building led the two Centers this year to create the Centers for Inclusive Design Innovation, which has already received funding for a project.
The Centers want to mark these milestones at an open house Thursday at their offices at 512 Means St., from 4-7 p.m.
Visitors will have the opportunity to tour their space, see demonstrations, such as AMAC’s braille machines used for tactile printing, and their student disability accommodation software.
CATEA will show various posters and demonstrations from current and past research projects. That includes the posters submitted to the TechSAge Design Competition for the GatePal app featured on the College of Design, and the TechSAge ALIGN app, which was mentioned in Atlanta Magazine and nominated for a Groundbreaker Award.
Transforming Accessibility in the College of Design
Although the approaches of the two Centers are different, they both use technology to assist people with disabilities and those aging with limitations.
Focused on helping students with disabilities, AMAC first offered services in 2006 at the University of Georgia. The Center moved to the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2010. Center Director Christopher Lee, along with Noel Gregg and other colleagues at UGA, were the inspiration behind AMAC. Gregg worked with AMAC for a few years and has since retired.
Today AMAC has more than 50 staff members who serve 800 member institutions and hundreds more who use their services on an as-needed basis. Not bad for a Center that started with 14 members serving 100 universities.
During the past 10 years, AMAC faced challenges, “including reducing the high cost of accommodations … and integrating a business model that would leverage existing business partners,” Lee said in a statement.
AMAC overcame these challenges and Lee transformed the Center into “an international research and development organization focused on inclusive design in corporate offices, government organizations and nonprofit environments,” he said.
One of AMAC’s biggest grants is the First in The World Grant from the U.S. Department of Education which funds the research of the Center for Accessible Materials Innovation (CAMI). The multi-million-dollar grant will help the center study the graduation gap between students with disabilities and their peers without.
CATEA started as the Center for Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) in 1980, and became the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access in 1999.
CATEA’s focus today is on resources to help employers make accommodations decisions, promote accessible STEM education, and resources to promote health and wellness among seniors while also serving their accessibility needs.
In the past dozen years, CATEA had three national Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers funded by the federal government’s National Institute on Independent Living, Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
These are the largest ($4.5-$4.75 million over 5 years) and most prestigious awards made by NIDILRR, and funded CATEA projects: “Workplace Accommodations” (2003-2013), “Wheeled Mobility” (2004-2016), and currently “TechSAge” (2013-2018). Current funding also includes a $2.5 million, 5-year study to demonstrate that universal design is a more effective strategy than ADA-required workplace accommodations to engage workers with disabilities.
According to CATEA Director Jon Sanford, by dollar amount, AMAC and CATEA account for about 70 percent of the outside funding in the College, with CATEA as the second largest research center in the College of Design.
Building Georgia Tech’s Accessibility Legacy
The move to create the Centers for Inclusive Design Innovation (CIDI), gives AMAC and CATEA, the two largest centers in the College, the opportunity to collaborate on a larger level, Sanford said.
“CATEA has expertise in research, particularly related to technology and the environment. AMAC has expertise in training and service provision, particularly related to information technology and assistive technology. These complementary programs can strengthen each other,” he noted.
“For example, the new Assistive Software Knowledgebase project was actually awarded to CIDI, and will use the expertise of both CATEA and AMAC.
“CIDI provides an umbrella to show one face to the outside world without losing the identities and name recognition of either center,” Sanford said.
]]>CIDI combines AMAC and CATEA’s accessibility efforts and research interests to create an integrative level of collaboration. The two centers are focused on creating accessible environments so a collaboration between the two was always inevitable.
AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center is the largest research center in Georgia Tech’s College of Design. AMAC focuses on studying and providing accessible solutions around the world through service and research. These research-driven services take a universal design approach to creating accessible environments.
The Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) is the College of Design’s oldest and second largest research center. CATEA’s work on creating assistive technology has impacted the design of classrooms, workplaces, and many more common environments to help many persons with disabilities as well as those without.
CATEA Director Jon Sanford says, "CIDI is the logical outgrowth of CATEA and AMAC being co-located. While both Centers have an interest in using technology to assist people with disabilities, we have different strengths and approaches. CATEA has expertise in research, particularly related to technology and the environment. AMAC has expertise in training and service provision, particularly related to information technology and assistive technology. These complementary programs can strengthen each other with co-location under one roof."
]]>This RERC will serve as a catalyst for a major shift in the understanding and development of home and community technologies. The mission of RERC TechSAge is to conduct programs of advanced rehabilitation engineering and technical R&D to increase knowledge about, availability of, and access to effective, universally-designed technologies that enable people to sustain independence, maintain health, safely engage in basic activities of daily living at home and the community, and participate in society as they age with disability.
Specific projects will include:
1. Research Projects:
R1. User Needs. This project will use a multi-faceted approach to provide converging evidence to development of integrated technology supports that meet the needs of older adults with disabilities. Specifically, it will develop a taxonomy of everyday support needs, assess user needs for home-based activities, and create an integrated dataset to predict task performance and technology needs.
R2. Effects of Age-Related Hearing Loss. This project will investigate the ancillary impact of age-acquired hearing impairment on the use of mobility-related assistive technology and outdoor mobility among visually-impaired older adults to identify impacts on AT use, mobility and community participation that will result in design and practice guidelines.
R3. Telerobotics. This project will identify the requirements of robotics interventions to compensate for activity limitations and participation restrictions among older adults with disabilities through an understanding of telerobot acceptance by the target population; determining the effectiveness of telerobot exercise interventions for enhancing self-efficacy and social connectedness; and assessing the usefulness and ease of use of a telerobot.
2. Development Projects:
D1. App Development. The purpose of this project is to develop mobile applications to support successful aging by older adults with a disability. Three apps will be developed: cognitive training to prevent functional decline; route planning to promote community mobility; and gait analysis to predict activity limitations.
D2. Smart Bathroom. The purpose of this project is to develop a system of smart bathroom technologies and fixtures, such as grab bars and adjustable toilets, that adapt to user’s needs and functional abilities based on an analysis of gait, balance, posture, grip strength and other factors.
D3. IntelliBot. The purpose of this project is to develop an open-source code, open hardware robotic system that is able to perform common actions with its hand (e.g., tool use) and is capable of adapting to changes in a user’s abilities and preferences to provide better assistance.
3. Training Projects:
T1. Continuing Education. This project will provide clinical and laboratory experiences, through an integrated program of online training that includes a 4-week online course on universal design and RE research methods; a series of live virtual practica with hands-on participation in RERC research; and specialized webcasts to supplement the online course.
T2. Post-Secondary Education. This project will introduce the principles of rehabilitation engineering research, universal design and aging with disability to undergraduate and graduate students in ID, ME, HCI, HCC and PSY at Georgia Tech through classroom instruction, student projects, and advanced research training through graduate research assistantships.
T3. UD Competition. This project will introduce students across the GA Tech campus to the principles of universal design in the development of home and community based technologies through a special award as part of GA Tech’s Convergence Innovations Competition (CIC).
]]>CATEA
]]>The goals of the STEM event were to inspire and educate high school and middle school Sandy Springs students to learn new ideas and concepts in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), to encourage students to see the connection between what they learn in school and their futures, and to enlighten and engage students regarding their short and long term educational and career opportunities in STEM, specifically Health Sciences and Technology.
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Sanford deduces that Activity creates the outcome of Usable spaces and products but Participation leads to meaningful places. These meaningful places create a sense of belonging and inclusion in addition to usability and independence. Sanford proposes the idea that we should design for the Activity and Participation instead of the ADA's current method of just focusing on Activity.
The COA Research Forum provides an informal setting for the Georgia Tech community to learn about research within the College of Architecture. Forums are free and open to the public and participants are invited to explore ideas and identify opportunities for collaboration. All talks are held in the Architecture Library from 11 a.m. to noon on the last Thursday of August through April. Talks are 30-to-45 minutes followed by questions and discussion.
]]>Tina Lee, Xiao Xiong, Elaine Yilin, and Jon Sanford attended the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computing and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012), Boulder, Colorado, 22-24th October.
http://www.sigaccess.org/assets12/accepted_posters.html
EZ Ballot with Multimodal Inputs and Outputs
Tina, Xiao, and Elaine demonstrated and presented a multimodal ballot prototype called “EZ Ballot,” which provides multimodal inputs and outputs to accommodate diverse voters including those with visual, cognitive, and dexterity impairments. The linear layout of the EZ ballot structure fundamentally re-conceptualizes ballot design to provide the same simple and intuitive voting experience for all voters, regardless of ability or input/output (I/O) device used. Three students are currently conducting a formative study to identify the usability issues.
Gesture Interface Magnifiers for Low-Vision Users
Tina presented her previous work that compared different types of magnification and navigation methods on low-vision handheld magnifiers to determine the feasibility of a touch screen gesture interface. The results show that gestures were faster and more preferred than the indirect input methods for pushing a button or rotating a knob. The study suggests that the use of gestures may afford an alternative and more natural magnification and navigation method for a new user-centric low vision magnifier.
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This course is administered through Georgia Tech's Distance Learning and Professional Education division. Please visit the Ga. Tech DLPE site to Register.
Course Description
This course is designed to bridge the gap between published research in the area of seating and mobility and clinical application of that knowledge by clinicians involved in manual wheelchair prescriptions. Topics to be covered include wheelchair features, postural stability, propulsion biomechanics, wheelchair configurations, wheelchair standards and letters of medical necessity. As part of this course, you will be asked to provide information about your clinical experience, manual wheelchair practices and knowledge of manual wheelchair technologies. The course is self-paced and can be completed on your own schedule. Additionally, a research project associated with this course will be offered in the Fall.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
* Discuss manual wheelchair frame types and features available to optimize function;
* Identify manual wheelchair configurations to maximize postural stability;
* Discuss efficient propulsion techniques;
* Discuss current research regarding repetitive strain injuries;
* Identify features available to decrease vibrations to the user;
* Discuss effects of wheel size and tire options on propulsion;
* Identify components of a wheeled mobility assessment;
* Identify necessary components of a letter of medical necessity.
Course Agenda
* Pre-test
* Welcome and Introduction
* Review of Manual Wheelchair Features
* Wheelchair Features Trials lab
* Current Postural Stability/Pressure Distribution Research
* Postural Stability and Pressure Relief Lab
* Current Wheelchair Propulsion Biomechanics/Repetitive Strain Injury Research
* Current Vibration/Shock Research
* Propulsion and Configuration Lab
* Durability/Cost, Wheelchair Standards
* Wheel Size, Rolling Resistance, Tire Option Research/Review
* Wheeled Mobility Assessment
* Case Studies
* Letters of Medical Necessity Components
* Reviewing LMNs - "How To"
* Case Studies and discussion
* Wrap-up and Post-test
Instructors
Laura Cohen, PhD, PT, ATP is the Principal for Rehabilitation & Technology Consultants in Atlanta, GA. She coordinates the Clinician Task Force for the Coalition to Modernize Medicare Coverage of Mobility Products a leading group of seating and mobility clinicians working to influence Medicare policy with regards to mobility assistance equipment. As an affiliate clinical research scientist of the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA), she works on projects with the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) for Wheeled Mobility. For the past 11 years she has provided second level review services for a third party payor reviewing DME requests in 21 states. Dr Cohen is appointed to the Chair of the Professional Standards Board for Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology and the editorial board for the journal Assistive Technology. Her research interest is to promote outcomes research designed to influence clinical practice and impact public policy.
Kim Davis, MSPT has been a physical therapist for 19 years, specializing in seating and wheeled mobility, in the areas of both service delivery and clinical research. She currently holds the position of Clinical Research Scientist at the Crawford Research Institute of Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, through which she also works for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheeled Mobility at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focus includes wheelchair seating, pressure ulcer detection and assessment, and clinical application of interface pressure mapping. She is a long term active member of RESNA, and is an instructor for RESNA's Centre for Continuing Education. She serves on the National Pressure Advisory Panel, representing RESNA as a Collaborating Organization, as well as serving on the RESNA Technical Standards Committee on Wheelchair and Related Seating.
Weerawat "Wat" Limroongreungrat PhD, PT, is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Physical Therapy at Georgia State University. His primary research interests are in the area of biomechanics related to wheelchair locomotion, posture, balance and gait analysis.
Chris Maurer MPT, ATP is a physical therapist at Shepherd Center with over 12 years experience in rehabilitation working with individuals with a variety of diagnoses. She has spent the past 5 years practicing in the area of seating and mobility specializing in the area of spinal cord injury, traumatic head injury, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative neuromuscular diseases. Chris has lectured nationally and internationally on the topic of functional progression for people with spinal cord injuries and various topics in the area of seating and mobility. Chris is an investigator working on the RERC: Mobility in Everyday Life developing seating and wheeled mobility technologies and studying applications of these technologies in clinical practice.
Stephen Sprigle PhD, PT is trained as a biomedical engineer and physical therapist. He is currently the Director for the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access, an Associate Professor in the Departments of Industrial Design and Applied Physiology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Clinical Research Scientist at the Shepherd Center. Dr Sprigle is the principal investigator of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheeled Mobility. He serves on the Board of Directors for RESNA and the editorial board of Assistive Technology. His research interests include wheelchair seating and posture, pressure ulcer prevention, incipient pressure ulcer detection, standardized wheelchair cushion and support surface testing and assistive technology outcomes.
]]>Adv Universal Design - 89009 - ID 6800 - A - Stephen Sprigle
Introduction to the theory and practice of graduate studies in industrial design in relation to behavior research and consumer products (graduate/undergraduate lecture) will meet 3:05 pm - 4:25 pm, Tuesday and Thursday in the Colegel of Computing building rm. 102.
Intro Universal Design - 88968 - ID 4210 - A - Jon A. Sanford
This course provides an introduction to universal design focusing on the implications of ability on the usability of places, products and systems for all individuals (graduate/undergraduate lecture) will meet 1:35 pm - 2:55 pm, Tuesday and Thursday in Architecture (West) rm. 259.
Adv Universal Design - 89009 - ID 6800 - A - Jon A. Sanford
This course provides an advanced level to universal design focusing on the implications of ability on the usability of places, products and systems for all individuals (graduate/undergraduate lecture) will meet 1:35 pm - 2:55 pm, Tuesday and Thursday in Architecture (West) rm 259.
That same night, our neighbors across 10th St., the Aware Home and Ellen Do’s Happy Home class and those across Hemphill, the Wireless RERC, will also be having open houses, so please visit us on the NW corner of Tech’s campus across from Rocky Mt. for this multi-location, inter-laboratory Über Event.
Parking is available off 10th Street in the W32 lots adjacent to CATEA off Hemphill and behind CATEA off 10th. Refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP using this link.