TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

American Ingenuity Alive And Well

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEPHEN SUNDARRAO Special to the Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 22, 2008

Contrary to popular belief, American ingenuity is alive and well, especially in the technology industry and specifically in rehabilitation technology. I am fortunate to see it on a daily basis.

Although it might not be well known, there is such a thing as the rehabilitation technology industry. Products are made to help improve the lives of people with disabilities. And just as in other fields throughout our nation, I've heard people express their frustration about the lack of innovation and uniqueness of products that are developed here and made here in the United States and are currently available to consumers.

I hear people say, "Why don't we come up with new products, new ways to help people, new solutions for people with disabilities." So, when Time magazine published its November 2007 issue on the best inventions of the year, and I saw the PowerFoot, the first battery-powered foot-ankle prostheses with springs that propel the wearer forward and create a more natural gait, I was thrilled.

Its built-in microprocessors and environmental sensors enable it to negotiate slopes, stairs and level ground with ease. Invented by Hugh Herr, a double amputee and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, the PowerFoot also recaptures the energy produced with each step.

I am pleased to see innovative ideas or products in the field of rehabilitation technologies noted in mainstream lists of best inventions, but I also relish the opportunity to tell others about innovative products developed in the rehabilitation technology industry in the classroom - my classroom - by students at the University of South Florida.

These students see the need and respond, creating solutions to problems faced day in and day out by individuals with disabilities. We are all familiar with the notion that "need is the mother of all invention." And, indeed it is.

Each semester, students at USF's Department of Mechanical Engineering take on the need for development of devices to assist individuals with disabilities to become more independent.

Products range from bicycles, pool lifts and custom wheelchairs, to vacuum powered grippers and robotic wheelchair accessories. In the past eight years, nearly 80 innovative products for individuals with disabilities have been created. Many of these products were designed for specific individuals living right here in Tampa Bay. The exciting news is that some of these products have been identified as having commercial value.

In collaboration with the USF Research Foundation and the USF Division of Patents and Licensing, seven of the products our students created are currently being commercially developed. USF students benefit from a "real world" design experience, while the disability community benefits by gaining a resource for rehabilitation technologies that did not previously exist.

The economic potential for the Tampa Bay area is monumental (including the manufacturing of these products which will take place at Tampa Brass and Aluminum, a company owned by a USF alumnus). In addition, the university and students share in the royalties. Many of the students that worked on these design projects are pursuing research and careers in rehabilitation engineering.

At USF, we take pride in increasing the interest among young adults and even children in pursuing careers in rehabilitation as engineers, artists, designers and clinicians.

We recruit these bright minds to work on some of the challenges in the rehabilitation technology industry. And with more bright young minds focused on these challenges, we can look forward to more great inventions we can all be proud of. Instead of the same old product in different packaging - another ramp, lift or cushion with a new name - imagine a hands-free wheelchair controller, a robotic attendant, or a communication device with a brain interface.

These exciting technologies are just some of the innovative products emerging from the USF Rehabilitation Engineering Center. And this is just the beginning.

Stephen Sundarrao is an assistant professor at the University of South Florida's College of Engineering.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT