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

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改变为有运动障碍的婴儿和幼儿提供早期行动设备的方式。尽管越来越多的人相信早期的活动对于认知、感知、语言和社会化的发展是必要的，但目前市面上还没有价格合理且可以由幼儿控制的活动装置。这个项目可能会使美国每年出生的3.5万或更多的儿童受益，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。这种设备的可用性可能会改变医生和治疗师治疗这些儿童的方式。这个I-Corps项目进一步开发了为有运动障碍的婴儿和非常年幼的儿童设计的早期移动设备原型。该装置的创新之处在于它提供了一种直观的控制方法。婴儿通过向他们想要移动的方向倾斜来控制设备。移动机器人技术为动力移动提供了基础。机器人顶部的一组力传感器支撑着座椅，并由定制软件来确定孩子是坐得笔直（在初始校准阶段测量），还是前倾、向左或向右倾斜。如果确定孩子正在学习，软件就会朝期望的方向移动/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微小的姿势变化，机器人仍会做出反应。该设备让孩子的手自由地与环境中的物体互动。还集成了两个安全功能：如果检测到障碍物，距离传感器会停止机器人；然后孩子可以朝任何方向移动，而不是撞到障碍物上。一个遥控器可以让成年人在任何时候控制机器人。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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.