CMU, Pitt Receive $15 Million Research Grant
From: The Tartan 08/28/2006 - Vol. 101, No. 1
By: Patrick Pettibon

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University
have received a $15 million grant from the NSF to explore new methods for
improving the quality of life for the elderly and those suffering from
blindness or handicaps. The grant money will be used to establish the Quality
of Life Technology Engineering Research Center, which will bring together
scientists, engineers, and medical professionals to collaboratively develop
technologies to increase the independence and self-determination of the
elderly and the disabled, and to do so without worrying about bringing
products to market. The first of the four main pillars of the researchers'
work involves monitoring and modeling. The researchers will attempt to
improve their understanding of machine learning by capturing aspects of human
behavior. Under the second category, mobility and manipulation, the
researchers will develop technologies to allow people with disabilities to
get around with greater ease and machines that understand the user's
capabilities, such as the Intelligent Mobility Platform, which is similar to
a conventional walker, only it actually helps users navigate to their
destination. The third area of focus for the researchers is human-systems
interfaces, which aims to improve the quality of life for those with sensory
impairments through technologies such as Trinetra, a device designed to help
the blind by scanning barcodes at the grocery store. Another technology along
those lines is EdgeWrite, an application originally created to make it easier
for Parkinson's patients or those who might have suffered from a stroke to
write on a PDA. The final organ of the program is person in society, which
focuses on the practical applications of the new technologies. "Scientists
often come up with brilliant mechanisms," said Howard Wactlar, vice-provost
for research computing at Carnegie Mellon, 

Read the entire article at:
http://thetartan.org/2006/8/28/news/quality_of_life

Links:
Universities to Develop Assistive Technologies
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06199/706633-85.stm

Carnegie Mellon, Pitt receive $15 million from NSF to found center to improve
  quality of life
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-07/cmu-cmp071406.php
http://www.plsg.com/content.aspx?id=27667ca9-4e6d-4d41-b693-505ca4b6f937

To enable the disabled
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_462283.html

Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center
http://www.qolt.org/

IMPASS Robot Has Snow Crash 'Smart Wheels'
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=486

New Robot to Use Legs and Wheels
http://www.livescience.com/scienceoffiction/051104_smart_wheels.html

EdgeWrite - Accurate Text Entry for Handheld Devices
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~edgewrite/

Computer Scientists Invent Typing System for Persons with Disabilities
http://www.aip.org/dbis/HFES/stories/15089.html

Howard D. Wactlar
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~hdw/
http://www.ri.cmu.edu/people/wactlar_howard.html