Past Projects

Stakeholder perceptions of exoskeletons

More and more research is showing that standing and walking can provide physical and psychological benefits for people with mobility limitations. Powered walking exoskeletons (powered orthotic frames that support and move a user’s body), have recently been developed to allow people with mobility limitations to stand and walk. Part of our research has focused on better understanding stakeholder perceptions of the benefits and limitations of these devices through a series of focus groups and an on-line survey with potential users and mobility specialists.

The Combined Mobility Base Orthosis
(the COMBO)

The COMBO is a new mobility concept that aims to provide users the benefits of standing and walking, while at the same time providing the best possible mobility for normal daily activities.  The device includes a powered walking exoskeleton with additional mechanical features that allow it to attach to a wheeled frame.  This allows the user several functionalities:

1. When attached, the COMBO acts as a manual wheelchair with dynamic seating (i.e., it lets users position themselves anywhere between sitting and standing) to allow users to match their position to suit different activities.
2. When fully upright, the COMBO functions as a standing wheelchair.
3. When detached from the wheeled base, users can walk independently using the exoskeleton (using the wheeled frame as a walker if necessary).

The COMBO is still in the early prototype stage of development. We are currently gathering stakeholder feedback on this concept and other alternative mobility solutions

Minimization of Falls Risk

One of the barriers to the acceptance of using exoskeletons as a personal mobility device is safety.  In fact, “minimization of falls risk” was identified as the most important factor in exoskeleton design in our recent survey (Wolff et al.).

As a result of these findings, we are collaborating with UBC researchers to better understand exoskeleton falls. Specifically, we are focusing on creating models to help us better understand techniques for fall prevention, mitigation, and recovery.

Work supported by

BCIT Internal Research Fund; Rick Hansen Foundation, Canada Research Chair, NSERC Discovery Grant

Partners

BCIT Prosthetics and Orthotics, Jarrod Tucker (Ortho Dynamics), Bill Miller (UBC Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy), Paula Rushton (UBC Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Machiel Van der Loos (UBC Mechanical Engineering), Mahsa Kalili (UBC Mechanical Engineering)

Stakeholder Perceptions of Existing Home Access Solutions

Many people have difficulty with stairs and access to buildings, including people with disabilities and seniors with mobility problems.   While there are a number of different home access solutions currently available, these all have some limitations.  This work involved conducting interviews and focus groups with stakeholders to better understand the benefits and limitations of existing home access solutions.

The ARISE Home Access Solution

We also developed a new solution (the ARISE) that aimed to address some of the limitations of existing solutions. The ARISE is an integrated staircase-lift that works like a see-saw (two platforms pivot about a central axis to create a levered raising/lowering mechanism).  A unique feature of the ARISE is that it can be used both as a lift and as stairs.  Some key benefits of the ARISE:

• it is inclusive, in that it provides an option to use either stairs or a lift;
• a lift platform is always available for the user- there is never a need to “call” the lift;
• it can be integrated into the look of an existing home (it doesn’t stand out as a solution for a person with a disability);
• it is usable for emergency descent during a power outage
• it has the potential to be self-powered

Evaluation of the ARISE and other home access solutions

A fully functioning prototype of the ARISE was built and set up in our Home Access Evaluation Lab.  We then conducted a study that aimed to evaluate end user perspectives of four existing home access solutions (stairs, a ramp, a platform lift, and a stair glide) and the ARISE.  Participants with a range of different mobility limitations were asked to try all of these solutions and provided feedback.  Results from this study provided greater understanding of user perspectives of home access solutions and the end user feedback on the ARISE design provided valuable insight into its usability and function.

Work supported by:

NSERC Idea to Innovation grant I2IPJ428619, the Rick Hansen Institute Grant 2014-01, Canada Research Chairs, and BCIT’s School of Construction and the Environment Green Values Strategies Fund

Partners:

Shopper’s Home health; BCIT Architecture, UBC Occupational Therapy