Engineering to enhance human mobility, play, and exploration
Congratulations to Dr. Charlotte DeVol Caskey on earning her Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering! Dr. Caskey’s PhD thesis dissertation was titled Effects of Spinal Stimulation on Neuromechanics of Gait for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Congratulations and best of luck as you move forward as a Postdoc in the Human Neuromechanics Laboratory at the University of Florida in Gainesville!
On May 14, 2024, Steele Lab members Dr. Megan Ebers, Mackenzie Pitts, and Dr. Kat Steele attended the Women in Data Science (WiDS) Puget Sound conference hosted at Seattle University. WiDS aims to inspire and educate data scientists worldwide, regardless of gender, and to support women in the field.
Among the speakers at the conference, postdoctoral scholar Dr. Megan Ebers gave a presentation titled “Data Expansion to Improve Accuracy and Availability of Digital Biomarkers for Human Health and Performance.”
Steele Lab members, Mia Hoffman, and Katie Landwehr led a “Switch Kit” Workshop at Kindering in Redmond, WA.
The workshop aimed to teach Pediatric Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Educators how to use a new system we have designed with local families and clinicians for inclusive play options in early intervention. The Kindering Team also got to try a variety of adaptive switches Mia, Kate, and Alisha made. Stay tuned for more on this project.
The University of Washington College of Engineering re-launched Engineering Discovery Days this spring. Discovery Days has been a signature outreach event for over 100 years, providing fun and enriching hands-on experiences for students, teachers, and families from across the state. Discovery Days is also an opportunity for our community of UW Engineering students, staff, and faculty to share their passion for engineering with the next generation of innovators.
The UW Biomechanics Faculty put together an exhibit titled “Biomechanics Assemble! From Exoskeletons to Cytoskeletons” with the goal of demonstrating how we study movement and forces in humans and cells at UW.
The Steele Lab along with the Ingraham Lab hosted two booths. Each booth featured hand-on activities and games for students to engage with.
The first booth features an ensemble of exoskeletons and assistive devices, including the Biomotum Spark and 3D printed prosthetic hands.
The second booth featured two games for students to engage with, including “Myodino” using Delsys EMG sensors, and “UltraLeap Ring Sorting” VR game using the UltraLeap hand tracking technology.
In this lab, we think the human body is “The Ultimate Machine” and we were so excited to share HOW we study the human body at Discovery Days 2024.
Mackenzie Pitts passed the Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student qualifying examination. After passing, Mackenzie is now officially a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering. Congratulations, Mac!