I-Corps: Powered-Mobility Device for Infants and Very Young Children

该 I-Corps 项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改变向有运动障碍的婴儿和幼儿提供早期移动设备的方式。 尽管人们越来越相信早期移动对于认知​​、感知、语言和社交的发展是必要的，但目前还没有价格合理且可由幼儿控制的市售移动设备。该项目可能会使美国每年出生的 35,000 名或更多儿童受益，这些儿童在很小的时候就需要大量的行动帮助，包括那些最终可能能够自己行动的儿童。该设备的推出可能会改变医生和治疗师治疗这些儿童的方式。I-Corps 项目进一步开发了专为患有运动障碍的婴儿和幼儿设计的原型早期移动设备。该设备的创新之处在于它提供了直观的控制方法。婴儿通过向他们想要移动的方向倾斜来控制设备。移动机器人技术提供动力移动基础。 机器人顶部的一组力传感器支撑着一个座椅，定制软件使用它们来确定孩子是否坐直（在初始校准阶段测量）或向前倾斜、向左或向右倾斜。 如果确定孩子倾斜，软件就会朝所需方向移动/转动。 该软件还允许对设备进行定制，这样即使婴儿只能做出非常小的姿势变化，机器人仍然会做出反应。该设备让孩子可以腾出双手与环境中的物体互动。还集成了两项安全功能：范围传感器在检测到障碍物时停止机器人；然后，孩子可以向任何方向移动，但不能进入障碍物。 遥控器允许成年人随时控制机器人。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to transform the provision of early mobility devices to infants and very young children with motor impairments. There is currently no mobility device commercially available that is reasonably priced and that can be controlled by very young children, despite the growing belief that early mobility is necessary for the development of cognition, perception, language, and socialization. This project can potentially benefit the 35,000 or more children born each year in the US who require significant assistance with mobility when very young, including those who may eventually be able to move on their own. Availability of this device could change the way physicians and therapists approach the treatment of these children.This I-Corps project further develops prototype early mobility devices designed for infants and very young children with motor impair. The device is innovative in that it provides an intuitive control method. Infants control the device by leaning in the direction they want to move. Mobile robot technology provides the powered mobility base. A set of force sensors on the top of the robot support a seat and are used by custom software to determine if the child is sitting upright (as measured during an initial calibration phase) or is leaning forward or to the left or right. If the child is determined to be leaning, the software moves/turns in the desired direction. The software also permits the device to be customized so that if the infant is only able to make very small postural changes, the robot will still respond. The device leaves the child's hands free to interact with objects in the environment. Two safety features are also integrated: Range sensors stop the robot if an obstacle is detected; the child can then move in any direction other than into the obstacle. A remote control allows an adult to take control of the robot at any time.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.