Robotics, Computer Gaming, and Sensory Motor Restoration

David Reinkensmeyer, Engineering, UC Irvine

This talk will describe recent developments in robotics and computer gaming technologies designed to assist people in recovering movement ability after a neurologic injury such as a stroke or spinal cord injury. Such technologies have the potential to provide more therapy with less supervision, to better quantify therapy and its outcomes, and to implement new forms of therapy that improve outcomes. A central theme emerging from clinical studies is that engaging technologies that provide an optimal level of challenge to patients produce better therapeutic outcomes.

David Reinkensmeyer is Professor in the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of California at Irvine. His group seeks to understand how to improve sensory motor recovery following neurologic injury and disease and develops robotics and sensor-based technologies for movement evaluation and training. He is the director of the iMove Collaboratory in the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, which supports development of new technologies for restoringhuman mobility.