Darrin Howell Joins the Lab!

We are very excited to welcome Darrin Howell to our research team. Darrin earned is BS in Neuroscience here at the University of Washington and is now a research scientist within our lab. In addition to the exciting news of our new staff member, Darrin’s first day involved helping install the new AMPLab treadmill. A majority of our lab’s data collections will occur in this new shared space with Electrical Engineering and Rehabilitation Medicine. Welcome, Darrin!

Darrin stands on the left belt of the new treadmill within the AMPLab's space, while Dave the Bertec Technician tests the isntallation. Dave from Bertec, Darrin our new research scientist, and Keshia our lab manager and research scientist look in the sub-floor space where the new split-belt treadmill will be installed.

 

Jessica Zistatsis awarded Mechanical Engineering Fellowship

jessicazCongratulations to Jessica for being acknowledged by the Department of Mechanical Engineering for her academic achievements and potential for success within her masters studies.

Jessica is dedicated to creating a pediatric exoskeleton which promotes improved walking patterns during daily life, outside of therapy sessions. This fellowship will allow Jessica to devote more time towards her research and studies. Congrats!

 

“Can thoughts be harnessed to move robotic limbs?” – Lab featured in Seattle Times NW

jaynaThis past Friday, the University unleashed its most ambitious philanthropic campaign, UW Together. The Ability & Innovation Lab was honored to have a team of undergraduate’s work featured, an elbow-driven orthosis for Jayna.

This story is now featured in the Seattle Times NW Showcase section, and Kat, our Director, is featured in an ad to the right of the story. To read and watch the video, CLICK HERE. We are proud to partner with the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE) here in the College of Engineering. Innovation occurs at the intersection of multiple disciplines, and Together we can change the world.

Go Dawgs and Go Biomechanics!

 

UW Together – Featured Project

Here at the Ability & Innovation Lab we are fortunate to partner with amazing families and people who are our user experts for feedback and ideas when creating new devices and designs. Jayna and her family are fantastic partners in the design project for Jayna, alongside our undergraduate students. The second prototype is now underway to improve the comfort, donning and doffing, and applicability of Jayna’s elbow-driven device to enable the use of her left arm during two handed tasks.

UW Together presents Jayna’s story HERE.

Jayna and Bradley work on bi-manual tasks (two-handed) during Jayna's visit to the Ability and Innovation Lab