Potential Research Projects
Project: Wheelchair SLAM – Dr. Jorge Candiotti and Dr. Breelyn Styler
Project Description: When an individual cannot safely pass the power wheelchair standards test to qualify for a power wheelchair, they may need more software intelligence to control the system.
The intern will implement either simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM ) on a wheelchair with sensor suite, or construct equations of motion for kinematic modeling of a mid-wheel drive wheelchair chassis that includes creating a universal robot description to simulate its movement.
Project Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Recommended Skills/Courses: ROS2, simulation, CAD experience
Preferred Major/Background: Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering
Project: Flexible control authority with a joystick operated robotic arm – Dr. Breelyn Styler
Project Description: Users value maintaining a sense of agency over the robotic manipulation system (feeling in-control), to facilitate this, we are developing a system that allows the user to initiate additional software assistance that moves the arm at any point in the task at their discretion.
The intern will work with a PhD student in computer science to develop the interactive user interface that allows the user to interact with the system. They can either work on prompting scripts with a large language model in openai, a voice interface for the user to interact through, or iterating on the design of an internal state estimation architecture which displays robot interaction options to the user.
Project Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Recommended Skills/Courses: openai, user interface design, ROS2, machine learning
Preferred Major/Background: Computer Science
Project: Development of a remote tele-operated caregiver assistant – Dr. Breelyn Styler
Project Description: The caregiver crisis is impacting the ability for participants to maintain quality caregivers severely impacting their quality of life and options especially during off-peak hours.
The intern will design an initial remote tele-operation system that can be controlled by both a remote operator and locally by a participant. This can include the network structure for remote and local communication, social aspects of remote caregiver interaction, or the initial integration of mobile manipulation system.
Project Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Recommended Skills/Courses: ROS2, networking, ALEXA, smart home software, user interfaces
Preferred Major/Background: Computer Science
Project: Development of the Simplified Accessible Vehicle and Robotic (SAVER) wheelchair – Dr. Brandon Daveler
Project Description: Advancements in assistive technology continue to impact the lives of people with disabilities. Powered wheelchairs (PWCs) in particular have advanced since their invention in the 1950s. From the development of proportional control joysticks to backup cameras to attachments enabling artificial intelligence, current PWCs are user-friendly and becoming more technologically advanced than ever. Unfortunately, transportation of PWCs is restricted to vehicles that require expensive and extensive modifications, thus often limiting options to public transportation (available only in urban areas) or expensive, personal accessible transportation. Our goal is to develop the Simplified Accessible Vehicle and Robotic (SAVER) wheelchair, a novel mobility device that will allow for the safe transportation of the SAVER wheelchair in commercially available vehicles with minimal modifications, thus expanding transportation options and ensuring access to Autonomous and Electric Vehicles (AV/EVs) as they emerge for PWC users.
Project Level: Intermediate
Recommended Skills/Courses: CAD modeling (SolidWorks preferred), 3D simulation, Finite Element Analysis
Preferred Major/Background: Mechanical Engineering
Project: Development of a modified airplane seat pallet to accommodate flying while seated in a powered wheelchair – Dr. Brandon Daveler
Project Description: The use of wheelchair (WC) securement systems is currently used and designed in accordance with widely accepted safety standards for public and private modes of surface transportation. Such systems are intuitively appealing as a solution to many of the hardships that WC users face when flying because of the current necessity to transfer from their personal WC to an airplane boarding chair and to their airplane seat of which lacks many of the postural supports and pressure relieving mechanisms that many WC users rely on for comfort and prevention of pressure injuries. WC securement systems used in surface transportation allows the individual to drive their PW in/out of the vehicle and remain in their power wheelchair (PW) for the duration of the trip. The ability for people to travel while seated in their PW have been enabled by public policies to ensure individuals who are non-ambulatory have access to employment, medical services, education, shopping, family and social events, and other activities and opportunities similarly to those who are ambulatory. One major exception has been airline transportation, which requires all passengers to travel in an airplane seat. This has greatly hindered the ability for WC users to fly due to the need to transfer out of their PW to an aisle WC and then to an airplane seat that doesn’t accommodate their physical and medical needs. Commercial airline travel is the only mode of transportation that has no regulations to allow PW users to travel safely and with dignity seated in their PW in the aircraft. The goal of this project is to iteratively design or modify an airplane seat pallet to accommodate the securement of a to WC allow users to remain in their PW for the duration of a flight.
Project Level: Intermediate
Recommended Skills/Courses: CAD modeling (SolidWorks preferred), 3D simulation, Finite Element Analysis
Preferred Major/Background: Mechanical Engineering
Project: Development of Electric Van Accessible Parking Space & Charging Station– Dr. Jonathan Duvall
Project Description: The automotive industry is in the beginning stages of perhaps its most significant transformation ever; shifting from gas powered internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. This transformation is going to have a huge impact on wheelchair users. Currently, many wheelchair users have modified vans which include lowering the floor by up to 14 inches. At this point, virtually all electric vehicles are designed with the batteries under the floor of the vehicle which makes these types of modifications challenging or impossible. Additionally, many manual wheelchair users who drive and transfer to the driver seat prefer vans because it is easier to stow their manual wheelchair in the back through the side door. The increased height of electric vans will make their transfers much harder and poses significant risk for transfer related injuries. Additionally, electric vehicle chargers have not been designed for wheelchair users to operate. The aims of this project are to iteratively design (1) a new style of accessible parking spot platform which would allow many wheelchair users to use electric vehicles without the need for expensive modifications to the vehicle frame and (2) a charging station setup and interface which is usable by wheelchair users.
The intern will assist with the development, fabrication, and testing of the Electric Van Accessible Parking Space & Charging Station. This project will be fast paced, involving iterations of designs, hands-on fabrication, reviewing feedback from stakeholders, and testing of the devices.
Project Level: Intermediate
Recommended Skills/Courses: CAD modeling
Preferred Major/Background: Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Rehabilitation Science, Health Science
Project: Rapid Prototyping Simple Devices to Facilitate Inclusion in Sport and Recreation– Dr. Jonathan Duvall
Project Description: Studies have demonstrated recreation to be a chief determinant of life satisfaction even more so than job, health, and financial resources. Leisure activities are important for connecting with friends and family members and promoting community integration. This project aims to develop or enhance at least 30 sports and recreational activity assistive technology to allow people with mobility disabilities to participate in sport and recreation activities with their friends, families, peers, and communities. These devices will be designed along with end users and will be disseminated on a website where people can acquire the designs and/or fabrication instructions. The designs are meant to be simple, combining 3-D printing and other readily available supplies and components.
The intern will assist with the development and testing of the sports and recreation equipment. This project will be fast paced, involving iterations of designs, hands-on fabrication, reviewing feedback from stakeholders, and testing of the devices.
Project Level: Intermediate
Recommended Skills/Courses: CAD modeling, 3-D printing experience
Preferred Major/Background: Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Rehabilitation Science, Health Science
Project: Development of Nickel-Zinc power system for powered wheelchairs– Dr. Jonathan Duvall
Project Description: Power systems for powered mobility devices, including power wheelchairs and scooters, have not changed significantly in decades. They have generally revolved around Lead-acid batteries, but some more recently are using Lithium-Ion batteries. Both Lead-Acid and Lithium-Ion batteries have limitations in terms of range, charging time, safety, and environmental impacts. Nickel-Zinc batteries may present many advantages to Lead-Acid and Lithium-Ion batteries but aren’t able to directly replace them on powered mobility devices due to a small cycle life when used in low power situations. This limitation may be ameliorated if the Nickel-Zinc batteries are combined with supercapacitors. This project will develop a Nickel-Zinc and supercapacitor hybrid power system and evaluate the range of the system compared to Lead-Acid and Lithium-Ion batteries using standard range tests. The results may provide a power system that is safer, more environmentally friendly, and able to be charged faster for people who use powered mobility devices.
The intern will assist with the development and testing of the energy transmission circuit of the Nickel-Zinc batteries and supercapacitors. This position will be fast paced, involving iterations of designs, hands-on fabrication, and testing of the system.
Project Level: Experienced
Recommended Skills/Courses: Battery management systems, Electrical circuit design, Energy transmission
Preferred Major/Background: Electrical Engineering
Project: Omnidirectional Robot Wheelchair (OMNibot) – Dr. Jorge Candiotti
Project Description: The goal of the Omnibot project is to enhance the participation of students with disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) laboratories. Physical barriers in these settings limit their mobility and interaction with peers. For example, students who use wheelchairs have reaching limitations and require additional steps to move around the workspace. To address these challenges, we propose the development of a novel omnidirectional robotic wheelchair, called Omnibot, with seat elevation capabilities for reaching objects on the floor and high cabinets. In addition, the project will propose different modalities to operate the Omnibot efficiently in STEM labs. Omnibot will enhance accessibility in the workspace, optimize student performance, and promote academic and employment opportunities for students with disabilities in STEM.
The intern will assist in the development and manufacturing process of the Omnibot. They will create CAD drawings for manufacturing guidance. The intern will also design a user interface to operate Omnibot in controlled settings. The intern will assist with data collection, engineering analysis, and data dissemination.
Project Level: Intermediate
Recommended Skills/Courses: CAD experience (e.g. Solidworks, AutoDesk, etc), circuits design, basic programming skills (e.g. C++, python, etc) or experience with embedded systems; excellent communication skills
Preferred Major/Background: Mechanical Engineering, Electronics/Computer Science Engineering, BioEngineering
Support for this program is provided by the National Science Foundation, Grant EEC 2149772.
Education > Undergraduates > ASPIRE > REU Projects 2024
Project Title
Development of the Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument (CATT) – Dr. Alicia Koontz
Project Description
When an individual cannot safely or effectively move from one surface to another, a caregiver may need to perform an assisted transfer to move the care recipient. However, performing assisted transfers can be detrimental to both the caregiver and user, especially if the caregiver is an informal or untrained caregiver who may not have been taught how to safely and effectively perform a transfer. A new instrument, called the Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument (CATT) has been developed to provide an objective way to evaluate proper technique of caregivers who provide transfer assistance to individuals with spinal cord injury/dysfunction. This project will focus assessing the performance of transfers by caregivers and their care recipients to refine the CATT so that it can be used as a clinical tool.
The intern will assist with human subjects testing of caregivers to determine the reliability and validity of the CATT. They will also participate in data collection, analysis, and interpretation of human subject data to determine the reliability and validity of the CATT, gaining experience with statistical analysis. The intern may also assist with developing training and educational materials around the CATT to assist caregivers when they are learning to transfer individuals with physical disabilities.
Project Level
Intermediate
Required Skills
Excel, experience with statistical software (SPSS, SAS, or comparable); excellent communication skills
Preferred Major/Background
Biomedical Engineering, Rehabilitation Science, Health Science
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Project Title
Effects of In-Wheel Suspension in Reducing Vibration, Neck, and Back Pain – Dr. Alicia Koontz
Project Description
Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) are typically prescribed manual wheelchairs to safely and effectively access their environment and retain individuality. Prolonged use of manual wheelchairs exposes the SCI to whole body vibrations (WBV) and is known to be one of the many factors contributing to chronic back & neck pain and fatigue. In-wheel suspension devices, like Spinergy CLX and LoopWheels, were developed to allow for increased control in manual wheelchair use in the real-world environment. These devices also have the potential to mitigate issues associated with long-term manual wheelchair propulsion. There is, however, little evidence to support if these systems can reduce harmful WBV and associated pain & fatigue. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how these wheels change the vibration levels manual wheelchair users are exposed to and how they impact pain and fatigue. Additionally, there exist a high prevalence of upper extremity pain and discomfort among manual wheelchair users (MWUs) associated with the routine and repetitive performance of activities of daily living (ADLs). There has been research conducted on the characterization of gross wheelchair motions and type of activity performed; however, limited evidence is available for monitoring intensity loading
demands in a free-living (real-world) through wearable sensors. Therefore, a secondary aim of this study is to develop and validate a wearable sensor suite and machine learning based classification algorithms that can identify activity risk-level.
Student will aid in data collection and analysis of wearable sensor data (EMG and IMU) to determine effects of commercial in wheel suspension systems to standard spoked wheels on reducing WBV. Additionally, student will aid in setting up mobility course, preparing wheelchairs and wheels, monitoring MWU during activities for safety, and prepping ADL activities. Furthermore, student will aid in development of machine learning classification models to identify level of risk from raw wearable sensor data.
Project Level
Intermediate
Required Skills
MATLAB, Python, Qualitative survey administration, knowledge of statistical tests, work with biomedical sensors, wearable sensors, interpersonal skills
Preferred Major/Background
Engineer (biomedical or mechanical) or Rehabilitation Sciences
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Project Title
OmniBot – Dr. Jorge Candiotti
Project Description
Wheelchairs provide mobility for people with spinal cord injury. However, its maneuvering requires user to perform extra movements to perform vocational-based and recreational activities within environments constraints. The goal of this project is to develop a multi-directional wheelchair with omni-wheels (OmniBot) to reduce physical/mental burden and move efficiently within home and workspace.
Project Level
Intermediate
Required Skills
Experience with Microcontrollers (preferred), Applied math, Mid-Level of electronics, C++ language (Intermediate), Basic knowledge of CAD Software (Preferable Solidworks) - optional
Preferred Major/Background
Electronics Engineering, Computer Science or Mechanical Engineer with electronics background; Prefer students in Junior Year
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Project Title
Caliper for Orthotic and Prosthetic manufacturing – Dr. Sara Peterson and Dr. Garrett Grindle
Project Description
This project is aimed to develop an alternative device to the current VAPC caliper used in the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) industry. This project is based on contemporary technology and digital display output, in an effort to reduce measuring time and errors, as well as patient and clinician discomfort. This device is unlike other current digital calipers because the specially designed arms of the new device, like the old VAPC, are conducive for use on a human limb rather than for industrial purposes. Additionally, the final redesigned caliper was meant to either be able to lock in place physically or retain the measurement value digitally so the measurement could be read precisely without fluctuating in value. Such a digital device would help elevate the accuracy of measurements taken and thus the quality of orthotic and prosthetic devices provided for patients. Currently, a prototype exists, this project would allow us to redesign the caliper to become a lighter, sleeker tool to use.
Project Level
Basic
Required Skills
Understanding/knowledge of 3D printing or the desire to learn, Introduction to Engineering, Understanding of research, Basic material science
Preferred Major/Background
Bio Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
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Project Title
3D Printed Prosthetic Liner – Dr. Sara Peterson, Dr. Garrett Grindle, Wayne Dudding, Dr. Rory Cooper
Project Description
This project involves the fabrication of a 3D printed lattice for a transfemoral prosthetic liner. Measurements taken from a CT scan will be used to create the size and shape of the liner. A variety of plastics may be used to determine optimal fit and comfort. If time allows, a single subject case study may be performed and validated.
Project Level
Basic
Required Skills
Understanding/knowledge of 3D printing or the desire to learn, Introduction to Engineering, Understanding of research, Basic material science
Preferred Major/Background
Bio Engineering, Mechanical Engineering; Knowledge of prosthetics
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Project Title
Electronic sustain pedal for pianos/ Keyboards – Dr. Rory Cooper
Project Description
Electronic pianos/ keyboards use sustains a sound whilst playing by pressing down on a pedal by your feet. This may not be possible for people with lower limb disabilities and an alternative method will be derived.
Project Level
Intermediate Required Skills Electronics
Preferred Major/Background
Electrical Engineering
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Project Title
MEBot – Dr. Jorge Candiotti
Project Description
MEBot is a robotic wheelchair that is designed to climb curbs and self-level across uneven terrains. It has 6 wheels with driving wheels that can move along a track to change its drive wheel position. This project will encompass investigated and testing sensors to help curb negotiation and self-leveling in controlled environment settings.
Project Level
Intermediate
Required Skills
C++ language (intermediate)
Preferred Major/Background
Computer science, with a background in electronics
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Project Title
Powered Personal Transfer System – Dr. Rory Cooper
Project Description
Technology to assists with mobility and transfers are amongst the most important tools that promote wellness, independence, community participation and quality of lives of people living with a disability involving upper and lower extremities. However, there is a paucity of systems that provide practical and coordinated assistance with transfer tasks. Additionally, caregivers and care recipients are susceptible to injury when attempting to safely transfer to and from a wheelchair. The ‘Powered Personal Transfer
System’ (PPTS) provides an alternative method to transfer those that are unable to get out of bed on their own, without subjecting the caregiver to additional physical stress. The PPTS consists of a modified hospital bed and a group 2 power wheelchair with a custom backrest, such that it provides a no-lift solution for performing bed to wheelchair transfers and vice-versa. The goals of this research are to: 1) Design and develop a safer and efficient prototype for the PPTS; 2) Gather feedback about the design of the prototype via focus groups with Veterans with a Disability (VwD) and their caregivers; 3) Evaluate and verify the prototype using human-subject testing.
Project Level
Intermediate
Required Skills
Mechanical design, 3D modeling or CAD, Electronic Design, Programming, experience with Raspberry Pi preferred
Preferred Major/Background
Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, IT, Bioengineering
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Project Title
Cueing Kitchen – Dr. Rory Cooper and Dr. Joshua Chung
Project Description
In the United States, an estimated 5.8 million adults have Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia, with the number projected to increase to nearly 14 million by 2060. Additionally, approximately one in nine US adults age 45 or older report a subjective cognitive decline, which is the self-reported experience of more frequent or worsening memory loss or confusion. The Cueing Kitchen is being developed to assist such people with meal prep and inventory management, while also enhancing their safety in the kitchens. The goal of the project is to develop a technology and a software overlay to turn existing kitchens into smart accessible kitchens. The Cueing kitchen is expected promote independence and participation. The three main aims of this project are: 1) Modify the Cueing Kitchen to increase portability such that the technology is universal and can be adapted to any home kitchen environment 2) Integrate a voice recognition system with the Cueing Kitchen 3) Integrate an audio-based emergency situation detection with the Cueing Kitchen.
Project Level
Intermediate
Required Skills
Experience with home-automation devices, voice recognition systems, software development/ programming
Preferred Major/Background
Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, IT, Bioengineering
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