Rehab Robotics Workshop & Wearacon16 Wearable Robotics Conf

Dr. John Rogers and Cadets Will Watson (EE), Katie Holder (ME), Mike Kushnak (ME), and John Bellet (ME) travelled to Phoenix AZ to attend the conference and workshop. The 4th annual rehabilitation robotics workshop was held on the campus of Arizona State University. The workshop included speakers and industry exhibits. A panel of neurologists and physical therapists led a discussion about the uses and limitations of robots in rehabilitation. Following the rehabilitation robotics workshop was the inaugural Wearable Robotics Conference that was organized by the newly formed Wearables Robotics Association. The event included plenary speakers, demonstrations of robotic exoskeletons, and talks on a range of topics. The cadets showed their hardware, presented a talk, and displayed a poster about their Hip Actuator for running assistance. The USMA team competed well in an innovation challenge, but did not take the prize. First place went to the HART team from UC Berkeley that developed patient-specific musculoskeletal software to help optimize the prescription of assistive robotic devices for rehabilitation. Dr. Rogers displayed a poster about using musculoskeletal dynamic simulations to aid the design of wearable robotic devices. The four cadets expressed appreciation for the opportunity to hear from experts and to interact with their peers. This trip provided outstanding professional development for the team.