| Outcome/accomplishment:
Responding to feedback from disabled users that they want “zero gap” in
mobility and object manipulation between themselves and an unimpaired person,
the Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center is pioneering
a robotic wheelchair that provides bi-manual manipulation capability for
people with disabilities.
Impact/benefits:
The objective of the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA)
is to combine the ability to handle objects and provide mobility assistance
with perception and decision making, so that PerMMA can intelligently anticipate
and meet its users' needs.
Explanation/ background:
The Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA) is under development
by the NSF-funded Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Engineering Research
Center, headquartered at Carnegie Mellon University and the University
of Pittsburgh.
PerMMA will offer greater
independence to individuals with mobility and upper extremity impairments
by allowing them to perform tasks in both their home and community that
would otherwise require the assistance of others.
Individuals operate PerMMA
with a touchpad, microphone, or joystick. The motorized wheelchair features
two large robotic arms that can assist with everyday tasks such as picking
up items, cooking, and shopping.
In August 21010 PerMMA made
a prominent appearance in Popular Science magazine, where the system and
inventor Rory Cooper (Co-Director of QoLT) were described as playing a
central role in the "Rise of the Helpful Machines." PerMMA and other QoLT-developed
systems have attracted the attention of the Department of Defense for their
potential to help returning injured and disabled war veterans. On July
9th, 2010, QoLT exhibited at an event hosted by Senator Harry Reid on Capitol
Hill and organized by the NSF Cyber-Physical Systems Program. The event
showcased PerMMA’s unique capabilities and also featured other QoLT initiatives. |
