Gears of Progress

In this episode of "Gears of Progress," we dive into the fascinating world of fashion science with Dr. Martha Hall ( website , LinkedIn ), a pioneer in integrating fashion design with health sciences and engineering. Discover how Dr. Hall's unique interdisciplinary approach is transforming wearable technology and adaptive fashion, enhancing the quality of life for diverse populations...

Josh Caputo( LinkedIn , Google Scholar , personal website ) is the founder and CEO of Humotech , a company that specializes in wearable robotic systems for biomechanics research, rehabilitation, and assistive device development. In this episode, we discuss his journey from mechanical engineering to the field of assistive technology and rehabilitation robotics. Josh shares insights into his PhD res...

In this conversation, Sasha interviews Jay Lee ( website , LinkedIn , Google Scholar ), an HCI researcher from Makeability Lab at the University of Washington focused on augmented reality and accessibility for low vision individuals. They discuss Jay's journey into HCI, the importance of accessibility in technology, and various projects he has worked on, including AR applications for sports an...

In this episode, Sasha speaks with Andres Guerrero , a rehabilitation engineer, and Jean Marie Florkowski , an occupational therapist, about their work at Blythedale Children's Hospital . They discuss the integration of rehabilitation engineering with clinical practices, the role of assistive technology in pediatric therapy, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. The conversati...

This conversation features a group of assistive technology professionals (ATPs) from Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, NY, discussing their roles, experiences, and the evolution of assistive technology in pediatric care. They are: Karen Conti (Assistant Director of Physical Therapy/Assistive Technology Professional) Barbara Donleavy-Hiller (Senior Occupational Therapist/Assistive Technol...

Dr. Max Ortiz-Catalan ( LinkedIn , Google Scholar , website ) shares his journey from electronics engineering to becoming a leading expert in neuroprosthetics. He discusses the challenges of medical device regulation across the world, the advancements in control mechanisms for prosthetics, and the role of machine learning in decoding user intentions. The conversation also touches on cultural persp...

In this conversation, Dr. Mark Hasegawa-Johnson ( LinkedIn , Google Scholar ), professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, and Clarion Mendes ( LinkedIn ), a professor of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois, discuss the Speech Accessibility Project, which aims to improve speech recognition technology for individuals with speech impairments....

Dr. Susanna Engdahl ( Google Scholar , LinkedIn ) shares her journey from a physics background to becoming a researcher in upper-limb prosthetics. She emphasizes the importance of user perspectives in prosthetic design and the need for a balanced approach to technology and patient care. She also highlights her post-PhD work in advocacy and the development of new prosthetic control systems, such as...

In this conversation, Dr. Rory Cooper ( LinkedIn , Google Scholar ) shares his journey into rehabilitation engineering, discussing the evolution of wheelchair design, to which he contributed a tremendous amount, the importance of designing with people with disabilities, and the challenges of accessibility in assistive technology. At the University of Pittsburgh, he heads the Human Engineering Rese...

In this conversation, Sasha and Anni Kern, Staff of Community & Outreach at ETH Zurich, discuss the CYBATHLON, an event that promotes the development of assistive technology through friendly competition. Anni shares insights on the event's evolution, the importance of user-centered design, and the various disciplines involved in the competition. They also explore the impact of CYBATHLON on acc...

Drew Redepenning ( University of Pittsburgh profile ) is a physical medicine and rehabilitation resident physician, biomedical engineer, and certified assistive technology specialist, with a passion for adaptive gaming. In this episode, we discuss the evolution and importance of adaptive gaming, the challenges of funding and accessibility, and the creation of Gaming Readapted , a resource for adap...

HuskyADAPT is a student organization at the University of Washington that supports accessible design and inclusive play technology. It started as a toy adaptation club and grew into a larger organization that focuses on universal design and includes design teams that work on projects that address specific needs of individuals with disabilities with the goal to create usable and workable solutions....

In this episode, Dr. Megan O'Brien ( LinkedIn , Google Scholar , personal webpage ) discusses her journey to becoming an Associate Director at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, her work in wearable technology for improving and tracking movement in people with disabilities, and the role of neuroeconomics in movement research. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities of using wearable te...

Dr. Mohanraj Thirumalai ( LinkedIn ) is an assistant professor at the University of Birmingham, Alabama, and a director of the NIDILRR-funded Rehab Engineering Research Center on Recreational Technologies ( RERC RecTech ). In this episode, he discusses the work being done in the field of recreational assistive technology at the RecTech center. Founded in 2002, it focuses on developing and adapting...

In this episode of Gears of Progress, Drs. Hanna O'Day ( Google Scholar , Twitter , LinkedIn ) and Melissa Boswell ( Google Scholar , Twitter , LinkedIn ), former PhD students of Scott Delp at Stanford University, discuss their journey into biomechanics, the creation of the podcast ' Biomechanics on Our Minds ' (BOOM), and the impact of the International Society of Biomechanics on thei...

Beth Halsne ( website , Google Scholar , LinkedIn ) is a certified prosthetist/orthotist and a principal investigator at the Center for Limb Loss and MoBility (CLiMB) at the VA Puget Sound in Seattle, WA and an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington. Her major research project includes work on patient-centered prosthetic feet pres...

Chu Li (Twitter, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, personal website) is a PhD student in Makeability Lab at the University of Washington. Her work lies at the intersection of urban science and accessibility. In this episode, we talked about her journey into the field of human-computer interactions, Project Sidewalk and Chu's involvement in it, and pondered on what it would take to improve the perspect...

Benjamin Conner ( Google Scholar , LinkedIn ) got an MD/PhD in clinical translational sciences from University of Arizona , shares his journey from studying biology and anthropology to biomechanics and exoskeleton implementation. He discusses the importance of mentors and the impact of movement as medicine. Ben explains the role of an MD/PhD in bridging the gap between basic science research and c...

Rita Stanely ( LinkedIn ) is a long-time advocate for making assistive technology more accessible. She has worked in and around the policy-making world for several decades and dedicated her life understanding how science can influence policy. In this episode, we have covered the topics of policy making in the spaces of rehab engineering and assistive tech, what researchers in AT should know about...

Ben Schouten ( Google Scholar , personal webpage ) is a proffessor of Playful Interactions in Smart Environments at Eindhoven University of Technology and a lector of Play & Civic Media Research at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. His work focuses on play and design for social innovations, citizen empowerment, and culture as well as toy development for the purpose of rehabilitation. I...

Spero Koulouras is a computer engineer by training and an entrepreneur by heart. One of his latest ventures is Auli. Tech , a company that designs open-source applications and devices enabling individuals to overcome intramuscular and vocal impairments. In this episode, Spero discusses his journey in the tech industry and his experience with ALS diagnosis 5 years ago, which got him on the path of...

Nataliya Rokhmanova ( Twitter , LinkedIn , Google Scholar ) is a PhD student in the joint program between Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany and Carnegie Mellon University in the US. In this episode, we discussed the role of haptics, specifically vibro-tactile feedback, in helping humans improve the way they walk, the benefits of participating in an international PhD program,...

Dr. Alyssa Spomer (LinkedIn, Google Scholar) got her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington. Her work focused on biofeedback technology to improve motor control in children with cerebral palsy and worked on understanding how interpretable machine learning methods can be used to identify factors of response to a resistive ankle exoskeleton (Biomotum). In this episode, we disc...

In this episode, I talked with Maureen Linden, an executive director of the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation at Georgia Tech and a former president of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America ( RESNA ). The topic of our discussion was RESNA's Guidelines and Priorities for Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering Research. We discussed severa...

Jessica Garries ( LinkedIn ) received her BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. During her undergraduate capstone project for the Engineering Innovation in Health class, she and her classmates got to work on transforming an existing exoskeleton for individuals with stroke from Cadence Biomedical into a pediatric solution for children with cerebral palsy - PlayGai...