PITTSBURGH, PA--(Marketwired - December 10, 2014) - RE2, Inc. announced today that the company has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health to perform research and development of a Patient Assist Robotic Arm (PARA).
The goal of this SBIR program is to engineer a practical solution to allow people with severe disabilities who require assistance (human or mechanical) to transfer to and from a wheelchair in their homes, homes of friends/family, and in the community (e.g., hotels, restaurants, shopping malls) in a safe, comfortable, efficient, and convenient manner.
The intent of this project is to conduct further research and development of the University of Pittsburgh’s wheelchair mounted mobile robotic assisted transfer system to determine its feasibility and potential for marketability. RE2 is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh and the Veterans Administration to conduct this research at their Human Engineering Research Laboratories.
“The PARA technology is novel because it is the first patient moving system to be mounted directly to a wheelchair. PARA would provide people with severe disabilities and their caregivers greater autonomy and freedom to participate in the community and vastly improve quality of life,” stated Dr. Andrew B. Mor, principal scientist for RE2.
“We are enthusiastic about being granted this opportunity to apply our extensive robotic manipulation expertise to the healthcare market,” stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2.
About RE2, Inc.
RE2 is a leading developer of Intelligent Modular Manipulation Systems. RE2’s mission is to advance the state of the art of mobile manipulation. RE2’s development efforts are focused on creating interoperable manipulation systems, intuitive human robot interfaces, and advanced autonomy software for mobile robotics. For more information, please visit www.resquared.com or call 412.681.6382.
NIH Research Support Statement
Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43HD078009. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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RE2 Public Relations
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412.681.6382
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