The Rehabilitation Robotics Research Program

Vocational Interactive Robotics

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Project Overview

The purpose of this project is to study the issues involved in the employment of individuals with manipulation disabilities through the use of interactive robotic devices. The goals of this project are two-fold. First, this project aims to employ individuals with disabilities in real mainstream jobs, through the use of assistive robotics. This will be accomplished through surveying a wide range of companies and evaluating the manipulation requirements of their job tasks. Also, a collaboration with a local rehabilitation center that is actively involved in job placement for people with disabilities will provide a site for assessment and training of potential employees. Second, this project intends to identify the process through which a suitable robotic system may be designed so that a potential job may be made accessible to a person with a manipulation disability. This task involves identifying the organization that addresses both engineering and non-engineering issues related to the potential employees disability. It is expected that a successful job placement will require input from an engineering design team, vocational rehabilitation specialists, representatives from the potential employer, and funding sources.

Project Staff

The staff members of the Vocational Interactive Robotics project are as follows:

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[Applications] [Robotics] [ASEL]

Last Updated: June 26, 1996 by Jill Schuyler <schuyler@asel.udel.edu>