Assistive Technologies

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Dr. Black's research program addresses the pressing need for non-surgical management of osteoarthritis by developing assistive technology to help individuals manage their osteoarthritic pain. Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability within Canada, estimated to impact 18.6% of the population and cost over $7 billion per year in direct and indirect costs by 2030. Dr. Black's research program will focus on the entire lifecycle of assistive technology research by: (1) identifying the needs of individuals in the community, (2) developing the technology, and (3) validating the technology application in user studies. The research program will focus on three main assistive technology development thrusts: (1) augmented reality for lower limb physical rehabilitation, (2) eWearables for gait rehabilitation, and (3) mobile device app development for hand osteoarthritis rehabilitation. The goal of the various assistive technology developed is to provide guidance for users to adjust their positioning during exercises and walking to best strengthen their muscles or alter their biomechanics to reduce pain. All assistive technology will be designed to provide users with constant feedback on their performance, to ensure users are adjusting themselves appropriately. HQP in Dr. Black's lab will develop skills in augmented reality and mobile device application development, including coding of these applications in industry standard languages. HQP will learn valuable skills in medical device development and how to interact with device users and clinicians to develop technology with the potential for widespread adoption and the ability to impact the lives of people affected by osteoarthritis. The research will focus on technology development that can be deployed remotely, overcoming the barriers of access to services for osteoarthritis management. Dr. Black will collaborate closely with CanAssist at the University of Victoria, an organization with a track record for developing and deploying assistive technology, to guarantee that the assistive technology in Dr. Black's lab best addresses the needs of community members suffering from osteoarthritis.