Research Helps Young Children 'Hack' their Own Mobility Solutions From: Medcial Design Technology - 03/30/2016 Infants constantly explore their environments, toddling and crawling around while at the same time laying the cognitive foundation that they'll use for learning later in life. But how can parents and doctors foster that kind of development in infants with mobility issues? A research team at the University of Delaware led by physical therapy professor James Cole Galloway and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate puts infants and young children with special needs in sophisticated mobility solutions that just happen to look like brightly colored race cars and cartoon characters. Galloway says the key to the approach used in this research is that it allows children to "hack" their mobile robots based on what they can do. If a child can move his head, designers and parents can customize a headrest-mounted switch that controls acceleration or steering. If another needs specific supports, designers can cobble together a study solution made of plastic pipes. Buttons that can make these four-wheeled robots go, stop and change direction are available in different configurations and can be easily relocated. Read the entire article and view a video (3:12) at: http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2016/03/research-helps-young-children-hack-their-own-mobility-solutions Links: James Cole Galloway http://www.udel.edu/PT/About%20Us/People/galloway.html GoBabyGo http://www.udel.edu/gobabygo Not related: Robotic Legs Take Cues from Humans http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2015/11/robotic-legs-take-cues-humans Interactive Robot to Promote Rehabilitation for Special Needs Children http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2016/02/smart-cushion-could-prevent-ulcers-wheelchair-users 'Smart Cushion' Could Prevent Ulcers in Wheelchair Users http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2016/02/smart-cushion-could-prevent-ulcers-wheelchair-users Opposites Don't Attract When Learning How To Use a Prosthesis http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2015/10/opposites-dont-attract-when-learning-how-use-prosthesis