Skin Sensitivity Assessment Using Smartphone Haptic Feedback.

This work presents a smartphone application to assess cutaneous sensory perception by establishing Vibrational Perception Thresholds (VPTs). Cutaneous sensory perception diagnostics allow for the early detection and symptom tracking of tactile dysfunction. However, lack of access to healthcare and the limited frequency of current screening tools can leave skin sensation impairments undiscovered or unmonitored.

"Self-care selfies": Patient-uploaded videos capture meaningful changes in dexterity over 6 months.

Objective: Upper extremity function reflects disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study evaluated the feasibility, validity, and sensitivity to change of remote dexterity assessments applying human pose estimation to patient-uploaded videos.

Methods: A discovery cohort of 50 adults with MS recorded "selfie" videos of self-care tasks at home: buttoning, brushing teeth, and eating.

Effect of variable transmission on body-powered prosthetic grasping.

Body-powered upper-limb prostheses remain a popular option for those with limb absence due to their passive nature. These devices typically feature a constant transmission ratio between the forces input by the user and the grasp forces output by the prosthetic gripper. Work incorporating continuously variable transmissions into robotic hands has demonstrated a number of benefits in terms of their motion and forces.

Ailu: An Affordable Sensorized Toy for Detection of Neuro and Motor Delays in Infants.

Early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders in infants is critical for early intervention to improve their long-term function. Integrating natural play with quantitative measurements of developmental milestones may help to quickly and efficiently identify infants at-risk for developmental delays. Ailu is a sensorized toy designed to elicit and measure natural infant play interactions.

Quantifying infant physical interactions using sensorized toys in a natural play environment.

Infants with developmental delays must be detected early in their development to minimize the progression of motor and neurological impairments. Our objective is to quantify how sensorized toys in a natural play environment can promote infant-toy physical interactions. We created a hanging elephant toy, equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a pressure transducer, and multiple feedback sensors, to be a hand-grasping toy.

Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back Pain: Results of a Randomized Trial.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether chronic low back pain (LBP) might be attenuated through the introduction of a sit-stand workstation (SSW) in office employees.

Methods: Participants were randomized to receive a SSW at the beginning or at the end of a 3-month study period. Participants responded to a short survey at the end of each workday and a comprehensive survey at weeks 1, 6, and 12.