Learning from demonstration for locally assistive mobility aids

© 2019, The Author(s). Active assistive systems for mobility aids are largely restricted to environments mapped a-priori, while passive assistance primarily provides collision mitigation and other hand-crafted behaviors in the platform’s immediate space. This paper presents a framework providing active short-term assistance, combining the freedom of location independence with the intelligence of active assistance. Demonstration data consisting of on-board sensor data and driving inputs is gathered from an able-bodied expert maneuvring the mobility aid around a generic interior setting, and used in constructing a probabilistic intention model built with Radial Basis Function Networks. This allows for short-term intention prediction relying only upon immediately available user input and on-board sensor data, to be coupled with real-time path generation based upon the same expert demonstration data via Dynamic Policy Programming, a stochastic optimal control method. Together these two elements provide a combined assistive mobility system, capable of operating in restrictive environments without the need for additional obstacle avoidance protocols. Experimental results in both simulation and on the University of Technology Sydney semi-autonomous wheelchair in settings not seen in training data show promise in assisting users of power mobility aids

Assistive technology pricing: is it fair and reasonable?

Concerns about the price of assistive technology products (AT, also known as aids and equipment) arise regularly in public policy discourse and the media. These papers present the available evidence and essential contextual information regarding AT pricing in Australia.  Overview Concerns about the price of assistive technology products arise regularly in public policy discourse and the media. With the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Aged Care Reforms, clarity about the fairness (or not) of existing AT retail prices is central to ensuring effective AT public policy development and implementation for the one in ten Australians who rely on AT to do everyday tasks that others take for granted. Available evidence indicates that while AT can be expensive, it is in fact cheaper in Australia than in other comparable countries. Effective price comparisons require comparing like-with-like, not only in relation to the product but also services and other costs that are incorporated into retail prices. The Queensland Competition Authority recently compared like-with-like AT prices and found Australia was 24% lower than the best available overseas price when transportation to Australia was included in the calculation.  ATSA price comparisons using a different method produced similar results with Australian prices on average between 14-27% cheaper. Notwithstanding the general impression that the AT industry is about \u27aids and equipment, hardware and gadgets\u27, it is largely a service-based industry with an extensive range of services aimed at ensuring a good match between the individual and their AT incorporated into the retail price. The extent of these services is described in detail in the background paper. Yes, consumers can buy AT on the internet from internet-only AT sellers in the USA for about half the price of purchasing through a retail shop-front in Australia, but when transportation costs are factored in along with the lack of coverage by Australia\u27s strong consumer protection laws, the difficulty and costs of enforcing overseas warranties, and the purchaser carrying all responsibility for ensuring appropriateness of the AT for their needs; assembly/adjustment/customisation; sourcing spares, maintenance and repairs; training in safe use, etc. these may not be the bargains they appear to be. Particularly in relation to more complex AT such as a light-weight customised manual wheelchair for a very active person, a motorised wheelchair with customised seating and complex controls, or even something \u27simpler\u27 such as a hoist to help someone get in and out of bed, or a pressure care cushion, AT retailers typically trial and test a variety of products and options with the consumer and their therapist, with free in-home trials over a period of days or weeks commonplace to ensure the best available solution is achieved

Pathways to non-complex assistive technology for HACC clients in WA : full report

The project aims to identify, evaluate and make recommendations to improve the pathways by which West Australian (WA) Home and Community Care (HACC) clients access daily living equipment. Otherwise known as assistive technology (AT), these devices are largely non-complex and often low cost. Funded by HACC and conducted within the context of the WA Assessment Framework (WAAF), the project seeks to answer the following question:&nbsp; &nbsp; How can aids and equipment be most effectively assessed, accessed, funded and used?The research is designed to inform WA state government policy and Commonwealth HACC government policy in relation to the funding of HACC client access to assistive technology. Whilst set in WA, the topic and findings have relevance to HACC in other Australian states and territories, as well as other aspects of aged care policy, other sectors such as disability, and other areas of inquiry such as competency standards and consumer self-direction.</div

Scoping Research Report on Assistive Technology - On The Road For Universal Assistive Technology Coverage

Over one billion people – largely disabled people and older people – are currently in need of Assistive Technology (AT). By 2050, this number is predicted to double. Despite the proven advantages of AT for disabled and older people, their families, and society, there is still a vast and stubborn gap between the need and the supply; currently only 10% of those who need AT currently have access to it. This Scoping Research Report on Assistive Technology (AT) seeks to unpick and understand the multi-layered and multifaceted ways in which economic, social, and political factors interplay and interact to create barriers to AT for those who need it the most. Through primary and secondary research, they explore the current landscape, the limitations, and current initiatives, ultimately answering the question: “How best should a target intervention around AT sphere affect positive change for poor, disabled and older people in Global South priority countries?”. To understand this question, the research team asked two specific questions: What are the barriers which prevent access to AT for the people that need it, with a focus on those living in low resource settings within DFID priority Global South countries? How should DFID, in partnership with others best direct its intervention toward overcoming these barriers? The work reveals that, while levels of AT market development vary across countries, key barriers are common. These barriers can be classified into 5 main categories related to both supply and demand factors and across the 5Ps of People, Products, Provision, Personnel, and Policy. This work is part of the ‘Frontier Technology Livestreaming’ programm

Creating an Assistive Technology Exposition with Planning Guide & Toolkit for the Seven Hills Foundation

With constant changes in the assistive technology field making it hard to keep up with current advancements, Seven Hills works to inform their staff and surrounding community about these assistive technologies through an annual exposition. Our team worked with staff of Seven Hills to plan and execute the 2018 Seven Hills Foundation Assistive Technology Exposition. This exposition offered a wide range of interactive assistive technology devices from companies and organizations throughout Massachusetts to help link people to useful resources. As a result of this exposition, we also produced a Planning Guide & Toolkit for Seven Hills to use in running future events

Teaching Chemistry to Students with Disabilities: A Manual For High Schools, Colleges, and Graduate Programs - Edition 4.1

Ever since it was first published, Teaching Chemistry to Students with Disabilities: A Manual for High Schools, Colleges, and Graduate Programs has served as a vital resource in the chemistry classroom and laboratory to students with disabilities as well as their parents, teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators. The comprehensive 4th edition was last updated in 2001, so the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Committee on Chemists with Disabilities (CWD) thought it prudent to update such a valuable text at this time. In a changing time of technology, rapid access to information, accessibility tools for individuals with disabilities, and publishing, Edition 4.1 is being published digitally/online as an Open Access text. Having Teaching Chemistry to Students with Disabilities: A Manual for High Schools, Colleges, and Graduate Programs in this format will allow for widespread dissemination and access by maximum numbers of readers at no cost- and will allow the text to remain economically sustainable.https://scholarworks.rit.edu/ritbooks/1001/thumbnail.jp

Instructional eLearning technologies for the vision impaired

The principal sensory modality employed in learning is vision, and that not only increases the difficulty for vision impaired students from accessing existing educational media but also the new and mostly visiocentric learning materials being offered through on-line delivery mechanisms. Using as a reference Certified Cisco Network Associate (CCNA) and IT Essentials courses, a study has been made of tools that can access such on-line systems and transcribe the materials into a form suitable for vision impaired learning. Modalities employed included haptic, tactile, audio and descriptive text. How such a multi-modal approach can achieve equivalent success for the vision impaired is demonstrated. However, the study also shows the limits of the current understanding of human perception, especially with respect to comprehending two and three dimensional objects and spaces when there is no recourse to vision

Can a Self Assessement Tool for Environmental Controls which has been Informed by Users be of Benefit to Potential Users

This dissertation looks at the area of environmental control systems (ECS) also known as electronic aids for daily living for people with disabilities. These systems allow an individual with a disability to control devices such as a television, music player, telephone as well as a door, window or curtain controllers. A self-assessment tool was developed for potential users, which was informed by the feedback of (i) users who use or who have used environmental control systems, (ii) Enable Ireland staff who were involved in the service delivery of ECS and (iii) companies who install ECS for individuals with disabilities. These stakeholders were interviewed by a guided interview based on the research on assistive technology models. Results of interviews informed the self-assessment tool development. After the self-assessment tool was developed it was evaluated by potential users to see what benefits it had for potential users

Assistive Technology for Students with Multiple Disabilities

This research looks into the effectiveness of assistive technology for students with multiple disabilities in a classroom setting. Assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment or product system—whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized—that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. This research also looks into the many obstacles that educators, building support staff and families face when trying to obtain assistive technology devices for their students. This research uses a thirteen question survey, sent out to several educational staff. The results of this research may be used to improve the effectiveness of said devices as well as inform the reader on how assistive technology is properly utilized for students with multiple disabilities

Development of a Low Tech Assistive Technology Kit

This project’s goal was to develop and implement a low-tech assistive technology kit in collaboration with the Seven Hills Foundation. The kit will be used to assemble AT solutions to help these individuals achieve independence. We conducted site assessments and assembled solutions with the staff and participants of Seven Hills. Ultimately, we found that our kit will not be beneficial to all participants due to the variation of disabilities between each individual and will need to be personalized