As if medical research funding wasn't tight enough, now scientists must compete with robots for grants. Wait... I have that wrong. The National Institutes of Health recently announced the awarding of $2.4 million over the next five years for projects with robots. (The humans are still in charge of the studies.)
Now that that's cleared up, let's talk about the robots. As part of the second year of the National Robotics Initiative - a shared project of multiple federal agencies to design "co-robots" to improve mobility and functioning in people with disabilities - the NIH is funding three projects.
One is a co-robotic cane that can aid the visually impaired by sensing information about the environment and relaying it to its user. Another is a co-robotic active catheter for heart procedures.
And my favorite, the novel platform for rapid exploration of robotic ankle exoskeleton control, is a wearable robot. People with impaired mobility or strength from aging or due conditions such as cerebral palsy or spinal cord injury may be assisted by this device. Researchers from North Carolina State University and Carnegie Mellon University will test robotic control methods in patients recovering from a stroke to improve the product's design.
Previously: Biotech start-up builds artful artificial limbs
