Design of a robotic mobility system with a modular haptic feedback approach to promote socialization in children.

Self-initiated mobility is a causal factor in children's development. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of our training methods in learning directional driving and navigation. The ultimate goal of mobility training is to enable children to be social, that is, to interact with their peers. A powered mobility device was developed that can localize itself, map the environment, plan an obstacle-free path to a goal, and ensure safety of a human driver. Combined with a positioning system, this system is able to apply a force field using a modular haptic feedback approach to train subjects to drive towards an object, a caregiver, a peer, or a group of peers. System feasibility was tested by designing a 'ball chasing' game. Results show that the system is promising in promoting socialization in children.

Modified toy cars for mobility and socialization: case report of a child with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: Children with cerebral palsy have limited opportunities to explore their physical and social environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using a "ride-on toy car" as a readily available, low-cost, fun, and functional option for children with special needs. METHODS: Brenden, a 21-month-old child, was provided a modified ride-on toy car for a 15-week study period divided up into a 1-week baseline, 12-week intervention, and 2-week postintervention. We coded mobility and socialization measures from video recordings. RESULTS: Brenden was more mobile and had more vocalizations during the 12-week intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Modified toy cars have serious potential to be a fun and functional power mobility option for children with special needs. The opportunity now exists to quantify several effects, including peer socialization, cognitive measures, and body structure/function goals involving neural, muscular, and skeletal physiology. Group study is required to formally test these findings.

Design of a robotic mobility system to promote socialization in children.

Self-initiated mobility is a causal factor in children's development. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of our training methods in learning directional driving and navigation. The ultimate goal of mobility training is to enable children to be social, that is, to interact with peers. A powered mobility device was developed that can localize itself, map the environment, plan an obstacle-free path to a goal, and ensure safety of a human driver. Combined with a positioning system, this system is able to apply a force field to train subjects to drive towards an object, a caregiver, a peer, or a group of peers. System feasibility was tested by designing a 'ball chasing' game. Results show that the system is promising in promoting socialization in children.

Short-term, early intensive power mobility training: case report of an infant at risk for cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: This case report describes the feasibility of quantifying short-term, intensive power mobility training for an infant soon after a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. KEY POINTS: An 11-month-old infant with significant mobility impairments and her parents were filmed during 14 consecutive daily training sessions. The infant moved the power chair with hand-over-hand assistance and performed open exploration of the joystick and toys. Mobility measures, coded from video, were compared across training. Frequency and combination of looking at and interacting with the joystick, percentage of time of moving independently, and average percentage of success in moving when prompted, all increased across the training. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Quantifying short-term, intensive power mobility training for infants is feasible and may have yielded positive short-term effects for this infant. The "who," "when," and "how" of early power mobility training, as well as the critical need for paradigm shifts in power mobility training, are discussed.

Power mobility and socialization in preschool: follow-up case study of a child with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: Our previous study found it feasible for a preschooler with cerebral palsy (CP) to use a power mobility device in his classroom but noted a lack of typical socialization. The purpose of this follow-up study was to determine the feasibility of providing mobility and socialization training for this child. METHODS: Will, a 3-year-old with CP, 1 comparison peer, 2 preschool teachers, and 2 therapists were filmed daily during a training and posttraining phase. Adult-directed training was provided in the classroom by therapists and teachers during the training phase. Mobility and socialization measures were coded from video. OUTCOMES: During training, Will demonstrated greater socialization but less mobility than the comparison peer. Posttraining, Will socialized less but was more mobile, though less mobile than the comparison peer. DISCUSSION: Short-term, adult-directed power mobility and socialization training appear feasible for the preschool classroom. Important issues regarding socialization and power mobility are discussed.

Design of a novel mobility device controlled by the feet motion of a standing child: a feasibility study.

Self-generated mobility is a major contributor to the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development of infants and toddlers. When young children have disorders that hinder self locomotion, their development is at risk for delay. Independent mobility via traditional power mobility devices may prevent this delay, but do little to encourage the child's development of gross motor skills. This research aims to develop a bio-driven mobile-assistive device that is controlled and driven by moving the feet, which may encourage the development of gross motor skills. In this study, system feasibility is shown by experiments on five typically developing toddlers and one special needs toddler with spastic cerebral palsy. Children were placed in the bio-driven device and instructed to navigate through a maze. All subjects were able to successfully complete the maze in multiple trials. In addition, two toddlers showed evidence of improved driving skill by completing the maze in shorter times in successive trials on a given testing day. The results suggest that such a device is feasible for purposeful driving. Recommendations are given for the device and protocol redesign for related future testing.

Training toddlers seated on mobile robots to drive indoors amidst obstacles.

Mobility is a causal factor in development. Children with mobility impairments may rely upon power mobility for independence and thus require advanced driving skills to function independently. Our previous studies show that while infants can learn to drive directly to a goal using conventional joysticks in several months of training, they are unable in this timeframe to acquire the advanced skill to avoid obstacles while driving. Without adequate driving training, children are unable to explore the environment safely, the consequences of which may in turn increase their risk for developmental delay. The goal of this research therefore is to train children seated on mobile robots to purposefully and safely drive indoors. In this paper, we present results where ten typically-developing toddlers are trained to drive a robot within an obstacle course. We also report a case study with a toddler with spina-bifida who cannot independently walk. Using algorithms based on artificial potential fields to avoid obstacles, we create force field on the joystick that trains the children to navigate while avoiding obstacles. In this "assist-as-needed" approach, if the child steers the joystick outside a force tunnel centered on the desired direction, the driver experiences a bias force on the hand. Our results suggest that the use of a force-feedback joystick may yield faster learning than the use of a conventional joystick.

Design of a novel mobility device controlled by the feet motion of a standing child.

Self-generated mobility is a major contributor to the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development of infants and toddlers. When young children have disorders that hinder self locomotion, their development is at risk for delay. Independent mobility via traditional power mobility devices may prevent this delay, but do little to encourage the child's development of gross motor skills. This research aims to develop a bio-driven mobile-assistive device that is controlled and driven by moving the feet, which may encourage the development of gross motor skills. In this study, system feasibility is shown by experiments on five typically developing toddlers and one special needs toddler with spastic cerebral palsy. Children were placed in the bio-driven device and instructed to navigate through a maze. All subjects were able to successfully complete the maze in multiple trials. Additionally, two toddlers showed evidence of improved driving skill by completing the maze in shorter times in successive trials on a given testing day. The results suggest that such a device is feasible for purposeful driving. Recommendations are given for the device and protocol redesign for related future testing.

Power mobility and socialization in preschool: a case study of a child with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: Power mobility training for young children and infants appears feasible under controlled conditions. Dynamic, natural environments provide the ultimate test of training. The purpose of this case study was to determine whether it was feasible for Will, a 3-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, to use a power mobility device (UD2) in his preschool classroom and to quantify his classroom mobility and socialization. METHODS: Will, 2 peers (typically developing), and 2 teachers were filmed daily in class during a baseline phase without UD2, followed by a mobility phase with UD2. We coded socialization and mobility measures from video recordings. RESULTS: Will was more mobile and interactive when driving UD2 than during the baseline phase; however, he remained notably less mobile and interactive than his peers. CONCLUSIONS: The use and assessment of power mobility in a preschool classroom appear feasible. Issues important to maximizing children's use of power mobility for classroom participation are discussed.