Many infants with special needs, such as with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism have delayed independent mobility due to weak musculature and/or poor coordination. Children with mobility impairments often do not use powered chairs until the age of five, as per current medical practice. Consequently, these children spend considerably less time moving independently around in their environment compared with typically developing children of the same age. Lack of independent mobility may result in delays in their cognitive, perceptual, social, and emotional development, which are well correlated with locomotion. This paper describes a novel mobility interface for the robot to explore the environment when infants are placed in a prone position. Infants can maneuver the robot through a drive interface that utilizes a camera to detect the motion of markers attached to their legs. We expect that infants will learn to drive the device by swinging their legs. Specifically, this paper demonstrates feasibility of this drive interface using data from two infants. Future studies will determine how infants can be trained to drive a robot purposefully and how such self-generated locomotion affects their long-term development.
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September 2010
Research Papers
Design of a Novel Mobility Interface for Infants on a Mobile Robot by Kicking
Xi Chen,
Xi Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
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Sherry Liang,
Sherry Liang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
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Stephen Dolph,
Stephen Dolph
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
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Christina B. Ragonesi,
Christina B. Ragonesi
Department of Physical Therapy, Infant Motor Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
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James C. Galloway,
James C. Galloway
Department of Physical Therapy, Infant Motor Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
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Sunil K. Agrawal, PhD
Sunil K. Agrawal, PhD
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
e-mail: agrawal@udel.edu
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
Search for other works by this author on:
Xi Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
Sherry Liang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
Stephen Dolph
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
Christina B. Ragonesi
Department of Physical Therapy, Infant Motor Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
James C. Galloway
Department of Physical Therapy, Infant Motor Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716
Sunil K. Agrawal, PhD
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems Laboratory,
University of Delaware
, Newark, DE 19716e-mail: agrawal@udel.edu
J. Med. Devices. Sep 2010, 4(3): 031006 (5 pages)
Published Online: September 8, 2010
Article history
Received:
October 25, 2009
Revised:
July 29, 2010
Online:
September 8, 2010
Published:
September 8, 2010
Citation
Chen, X., Liang, S., Dolph, S., Ragonesi, C. B., Galloway, J. C., and Agrawal, S. K. (September 8, 2010). "Design of a Novel Mobility Interface for Infants on a Mobile Robot by Kicking." ASME. J. Med. Devices. September 2010; 4(3): 031006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4002322
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