Federal Labs Challenged to Meet Assistive Technology Needs From: Newslink - Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer November, 1998 - Vol. 14, No. 10 - Page 1 - 2 Federal laboratory technologies are beginning to help the elderly and people with disabilities lead more productive, comfortable, and independent lives. But lab successes in the growing assistive technology (AT) field are the tip of the proverbial iceberg in a federal laboratory system with deep technical resources. Labs in the US have unlimited opportunities to develop technologies that can improve the quality of life for the 47 million people living independently with functional disabilities and the 2 million patients in long-term facilities. The AT field also promises a built-in market with aging baby boomers. "I hope the management and staff of individual labs take [the statistics] as a challenge," says Joseph Lane, Project Director of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Technology Transfer. Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), RERC, which has 14 centers in the US, has worked with the FLC in AT development since 1994. The Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) at the University of Buffalo operates the two NIDRR-funded RERCs on technology transfer and AT for older persons with disabilities. FLC Regional Projects FLC Chairs Dan Brand and Tina McKinley both championed collaborative AT activity, and former FLC Washington, DC Rep Ty Taylor organized congressional hearings on the FLC’s role in this field. Current FLC Chair Brand has designated AT as a strategic technology focus area for the FLC. Three FLC regions have also set up collaborative projects to exploit the technologies in their regional labs. The Mid-Continent, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic regions are all exploring ways to meet AT needs in areas of mobility, education, accessibility, visual and hearing impairment, and communication. NASA, Air Force Lab Successes Although labs are short on AT history, the list of successes is lengthening. For example, composite materials, cool suits, and eyegaze technologies have all been used in products for persons with disabilities. Once designed for space or air travel, NASA and Air Force lab technologies have spun off a number of new assistive devices, such as wheelchairs made of advanced composite materials that are lighter, stronger, and easier to maneuver. Technologies from the federal laboratory "inventory" also help hearts beat more regularly; eye disease and different kinds of cancer to be detected with greater accuracy; and replaced elbows, knees, and other joints made of new composites to function more effectively. Some products that originated in the labs - such as talking caller ID and vibrating pagers for people with sensory impairment - are now in mainstream use. "In a sense," Joseph Lane says, "we're investing in meeting our own future needs. If we're lucky, we'll all live long enough to need assistive devices." For more info: Joe Lane, 716/829-3141 ----- DOD CAP Program Serves as AT Model The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) - a centrally funded Department of Defense (DOD) program - provides assistive technologies that allow DOD employees with disabilities to access computer and telecommunication systems. CAP funds sign language interpreters, readers, and personal assistants for DOD employees in training classes. CAP also focuses on ergonomic issues and work-related injuries, cosponsors the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, and runs the CAP Technology Evaluation Center (CAPTEC), which provides a wide variety of assistive devices for evaluation and demonstration. CAP has been cited as a model for federal AT programs. For more info; http://www.ha.asd.mil/hpcap2.html ----- For an Assistive Technology Evaluation... James Leahy at the RERC on Technology Transfer reviews potential assistive technologies from the labs. However, candidate summaries often do not contain all the details needed for an evaluation - thereby preventing conversations with companies that might be interested in the technology. Therefore, Leahy asks that lab reps call him first to discuss the technology and to be prepared to answer the following questions: 1. Is the technology ready to be transferred now? 2. Is the inventor/lab champion available to answer questions, present documentation, and help transfer the device? 3. Is there a lab-company CRADA now? If so, what are the terms (e.g., can additional companies be involved in a non-exclusive manner)? Information Package For an evaluation on the assistive potential of a technology, Leahy recommends that lab reps complete an information package with thorough, descriptive data concerning each device (e.g., patents, technical specs, engineering drawings, any partnership activity, etc.). Contact Leahy first for assistance in packaging your information. According to Leahy, ORTAs should be involved in developing the technology commercialization package - and enthusiastic and responsive to questions. A timely response to transfer inquiries indicates an efficient organization and interest in becoming a corporate business partner. For more info: Jim Leahy, 716/829-3141, jimleahy@acsu.buffalo.edu ----- RTI Matches Industry Needs with Lab Solutions Your lab's technology may have applications you've never imagined! To help labs identify those opportunities, the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has a demand-pull program that identifies solutions and resources for adapting the technologies, and forms industry partnerships to turn the technologies into commercial products. RTI has a commercial history of success, having established many industry-lab partnerships that have met medical and assistive technology needs in severe vision impairment, digital mammography, and other breast cancer imaging methods. The following case study describes how a NASA technology for inspecting aircraft helped improve bladder control. Bladder Volume Sensing Inability to sense bladder fullness is a common problem for patients who suffer from spinal cord injuries, strokes, and diabetes. In addition, toilet training for many severely retarded individuals is never realized because no convenient means exist to help them associate bladder fullness with the appropriate behaviors. An estimated 150,000 mentally retarded persons in the US suffer from urinary incontinence. RTI - through its work with the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) - learned of the need for a compact, easy-to-use, bladder fullness sensing device that could signal when the bladder reached a preset threshold. RTI matched the system requirements with NASA Langley Research Center technologies in ultrasound transducers and signal processing, which were originally developed for nondestructive testing of aircraft structures. Funding from NIDRR supported the collaboration between NASA and ARC to develop the device. Diagnostic Ultrasound Corporation licensed the technology and markets a product for ultrasound bladder monitoring - the Contiscan (TM) Monitor. Opportunities Over the next year, RTI will be matching federal lab technologies with needs in the following areas: 1. managing diabetic retinopathy 2. improved wheelchairs (in conjunction with FLC Mid-Atlantic Region) Problem statements for technology solutions will be distributed to FLC labs in the coming months. For an example of how to review demand-pull problem statements and submit solutions, go to: http://www.rti.org/technology/nasa-jdf For more info: Daniel Winfield, 919/541-6431, winfield@rti.org ----- FLC Regions Active in Assistive Technology Mid-Continent Region Working with Aztech, Inc., the Mid-Continent Region completed a demonstration project of 17 technologies that regional labs submitted for review of their assistive potential. Ten were selected for in-depth evaluation, and three submitted by the Air Force Research Laboratory (formerly Armstrong Laboratory) have strong potential in home health-care markets - Smart Oxygen Mask, Force Reflective Joystick, and Molecular Sieve Oxygen Generating System. For more info: Ann Kerksieck, 501/324-9047 x310, alkerksieck@uarl.edu Mid-Atlantic Region In a demand-pull demonstration project, the Mid-Atlantic Region will assess and improve technology in wheeled mobility products (e.g., wheelchairs, powered controllers, custom seating systems). Wheelchair industry/research experts will identify technical product function limitations and suggest improvements, and these technical specs (e.g., material strength/weight ratios, power cell output/duration, control system sensitivity/programmability) will be circulated to federal labs. For more info: Rich Dimmick, 410-278-6955, dimmick@arl.army.mil Southeast Region At its October meeting, the Southeast Region decided to team with one of the newest Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) sponsored by the Department of Education at Duke University. Regional labs will demonstrate partnering techniques and contribute technologies to the RERC TechWatch program in communication enhancement. At the meeting, lab reps displayed several technologies that could potentially assist stroke and MS patients in the area of speech. For more info: Wanda Lopez, 352/294-7836, wlopez@eng.ufl.edu ----- Small Business Commercializes Public Domain Air Force Technology LC Technologies, a small business in Fairfax, VA, has developed and commercialized a unique technology - Eyegaze - that automatically tracks the movement of the human eye. By combining a video camera and a computer, the system accurately determines the location of a person’s gazepoint on a computer screen. Although Eyegaze has many potential applications, the current product functions as a computer/communication system for people with severe motor impairments. With Eyegaze, these people can productively use a computer merely by moving their eyes. The development of Eyegaze has a long and complex history - going back more than 30 years. The initial pioneering work was sponsored by the Department of Defense in the early 1960s when the Air Force wanted an alternate means for pilots to interface with their equipment. However, after some early lab successes, various technological obstacles prevented the transfer of automatic eyetracking to the real world, and the technology was placed in the public domain. In the late 1980s, LC Technologies began building on work done by the Air Force and others and made some important technological breakthroughs, which enabled LC to fully develop and market Eyegaze to people with disabilities. To date, more than 150 devices have been sold. LC Technologies will continue developing the technology - enhancing it for future applications and ensuring that customer needs are met at the most economical prices. For more info: http://www.eyegaze.com