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Rehabilitation Robotics Engineer
Builds robotic devices that help people recover from injuries or disabilities — exoskeletons, robotic arms, therapy bots.
Did you know?
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening, paraplegic Juliano Pinto demonstrated a brain-controlled exoskeleton built by the Walk Again Project.
How subjects help
- Engineering: Build the motors and joints for an exoskeleton that helps someone stand and take steps.
- Biology: Understand how muscles and nerves heal so a robot guides movement at a safe pace.
- Computer Science: Program a robotic arm to sense how hard a patient pushes and give just enough help.
- Psychology: Keep patients motivated with playful exercises and goals they can see themselves reach.
A famous name
Yoky Matsuoka: Led a neurobotics lab building robotic hands for people with disabilities; MacArthur Fellow in 2007.
Try it yourself: Measure your sensor delay
- Your helper holds the ruler at the top end. Hold your thumb and finger open just below the bottom end, without touching it.
- Your helper drops it without warning. Catch it as fast as you can and read the number at your fingers.
- Do five drops and write them down. Then try with a "1, 2, 3" countdown, and with your other hand.
- Label your body like a robot: eyes = sensor, brain = controller, hand = motor. Which part of the chain do you think takes longest, and why did the countdown help?
Robotics and control engineers measure how long a machine takes to sense, decide and act, because a slow loop makes a robot overshoot or react too late.
Adapted from TeachEngineering (University of Colorado Boulder): Pupillary Response & Test Your Reaction Time.
Also try: Design something easier to hold.
Known for it in
USA, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Israel