mobility

2025 CREATE Research Showcase Highlights Inclusive Innovation

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  • A group of people standing and conversing at an indoor research showcase. Some attendees are viewing posters or displays.
  • A group of people viewing academic posters displayed on easels at a research showcase.
  • A person standing next to a scientific poster presentation titled "Kicking it off: Do toddlers with disabilities activate leg muscles when driving with a joystick?" featuring graphs, charts, and images.
  • Two individuals standing in front of a research poster titled “Mobility aids to support independent play for young children with Down Syndrome” which includes graphs and charts. A small powered wheel chair with a stuffed dinosaur is set up in front of the poster.
  • A person holding a flyer in front of a research poster about Down syndrome. The flyer invites families with children aged 12–36 months with Down syndrome to participate in a study at the University of Washington.
  • Two people seated behind a table displaying materials for the H.A.T. Hand Assessment Tool. A banner with an illustrated hand and the tool’s name is draped across the front of the table.

The Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) recently hosted its Spring 2025 Research Showcase and Community Day, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and community members dedicated to advancing accessibility. Co-sponsored by HuskyADAPT, the event highlighted cutting-edge work that bridges technology and inclusion.

Our lab was proud to be part of the showcase, with several students and collaborators presenting their research. Alisha Bose presented a poster on How Does Clinical Presentation Impact Gameplay in Early Intervention? This project explored how children’s unique needs influence their interaction with accessible play tools like the Switch Kit.

Madeleine McCreary presented Kicking it Off: Do Toddlers with Disabilities Activate Leg Muscles When Driving with a Joystick? This study examined leg muscle activation in toddlers using powered mobility devices to inform interventions that support play and development.

Mia Hoffman, Spencer Hensley, and Katie Belen Leija presented Mobility Aids to Support Independent Play for Young Children with Down Syndrome. Their work evaluated how mobility devices support early movement and play in children with Down Syndrome.

Alexandra (Sasha) Portnova showcased the H.A.T. – Hand Assessment Tool, a camera-based tool that measures finger range of motion to support hand therapy practices.

These projects reflect CREATE’s mission: to make technology accessible and to make the world accessible through technology.

Celebrating Our Research Trainees at the 2025 UW Undergraduate Research Symposium

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The University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium is an annual, day-long celebration of undergraduate achievement in research, scholarship, and creative expression. This year, we are proud to highlight the outstanding contributions of our lab’s research trainees who shared their innovative work with the broader academic community.

Alisha Bose delivered a compelling podium presentation titled “How Does Clinical Presentation Impact Gameplay in Early Intervention?” Her research explores how different clinical profiles may influence the way children engage with therapeutic play, contributing valuable insights to the field of accessible design.

Katie Leija presented a poster on “Impact of Powered Mobility Device Seat Design on a Young Child’s Exploration,” examining how adaptive seating affects mobility and interaction in young children using powered mobility devices.

Spencer Hensley shared his work through a poster presentation titled “Effects of Mobility Aids on Muscle Activity in Kids with DS,” which investigates how different mobility aids influence muscle engagement during play in children with Down syndrome.

We are incredibly proud of Alisha, Spencer, and Katie for their dedication and creativity. Their projects reflect the core mission of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab—engineering to enhance human mobility, play, and exploration. Through their work, they are helping to advance inclusive design and accessible technology that empowers individuals of all abilities.

  • A person stands at a podium giving a presentation. Behind them, a large screen displays the title slide: “HOW DOES CLINICAL PRESENTATION IMPACT GAMEPLAY IN EARLY INTERVENTION?” by Alisha Bose.
  • A person stands next to a research poster titled “Impact of Powered Mobility Device Seat Design on a Young Child's Exploration,” featuring the University of Washington logo.
  • A person stands beside a scientific poster titled “Effects of Mobility Aids on Muscle Activity in Kids with DS.”

Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab presents at RehabWeek 2025

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Members of the Neuromechanics and Mobility Lab has a busy week attending the 2025 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Conference, held as part of RehabWeek 2025 from May 12-16 in Chicago, IL.

RehabWeek is a premier, week-long event that brings together multiple conferences in the field of rehabilitation technology. It fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation among researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals. Our lab was proud to be part of this vibrant community, with several members presenting their research and contributing to the ongoing dialogue on the future of rehabilitation science.

Two of our PhD students, Mia Hoffman and Madeleine McCreary, participated in the RESNA Student Scientific Paper Competition and presented their work during the Student Scientific Paper Platform session. Mia presented her research titled “Measuring Early Intervention Providers’ Use of a Novel Switch-Accessible Play Kit,” while Maddie shared findings from our lab’s Early Mobility & Play research in her talk, “Kicking it off: Do toddlers with disabilities activate leg muscles when driving with a joystick?”

Mia Hoffman also led a session on Play and Recreation in Assistive Technology titled “Switch It Up: From Adapted Toys to Therapeutic Gaming.”

Alexandra (Sasha) Portnova-Fahreeva presented a poster titled “Evaluating the Effects of Noninvasive Spinal Stimulation on Gait Parameters in Cerebral Palsy via Markerless Motion Capture” sharing findings from our lab’s Spinal Neuromodulation research. She also participated in the RESNA Student Design Challenge with her project, “H.A.T. – A Camera-Based Finger Range-of-Motion Hand Assessment Tool to Enhance Therapy Practices” where she and her team received honorable mention.

Katie Landwehr-Prakel presented a poster on “Cardiovascular Load of Using a Walker-Based Exoskeleton in Children with Cerebral Palsy,” and placed in the top 10 of the Fast Forward Poster Competition.

We are especially proud to share that Mia Hoffman was awarded 1st place and Madeleine McCreary received 2nd place in the Student Scientific Paper Competition. Congratulations to both for their outstanding work and well-deserved recognition.

We’re incredibly proud of our team’s contributions and accomplishments at RehabWeek 2025!

Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab Presents at NWBS 2025

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Members of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab traveled to Vancouver, BC for the 2025 Northwest Biomechanics Symposium (NWBS) May 2-3 hosted by the University of British Columbia. The Northwest Biomechanics Symposium is a student-friendly conference and incorporates research labs from all of the Northwest, including Canada.

Ally Clarke and Madeleine McCreary gave podium presentations at the conference in Vancouver. Mia Hoffman, Alisha Bose, and Katie Landwehr-Prakel each gave a poster presentation.

A special congratulations to Ally Clarke and Madeleine McCreary for receiving the Honorable Mention Award and Best Podium Award, respectively, in the PhD category.

We are looking forward to NWBS 2026 in Bozeman, MT!

KA Ingraham, NL Zaino, C Feddema, ME Hoffman, L Gijbels, A Sinclair, AN Meltzoff, PK Kuhl, HA Feldner, KM Steele (2025) “Quantifying Joystick Interactions and Movement Patterns of Toddlers With Disabilities Using Powered Mobility With an Instrumented Explorer Mini”

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Journal Article in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering

Powered mobility technology can be a powerful tool to facilitate self-initiated exploration and play for toddlers with motor disabilities. The joystick-controlled Permobil Explorer Mini is currently the only commercially available powered mobility device for children ages 1-3 years in the United States. However, many open questions persist regarding how joystick-based mobility technologies should be designed to optimally suit the developmental needs of toddlers.

The instrumented Explorer Mini measures joystick position in (x,y) coordinates and the number of wheel rotations for the left and right wheels at a sampling frequency of 100 Hz. Wheel displacement is calculated by multiplying the number of rotations by the measured wheel circumference. Representative raw data collected from the device are shown here for 100 seconds.Aim: The purpose of this study was to quantify how toddlers with motor disabilities use the Explorer Mini during free exploration and play.

Methods: For this work, we developed a custom-instrumented Explorer Mini with embedded sensors to measure joystick interactions and wheel rotations. Nine children with motor disabilities (ages 12-36 months) participated in 12 in-lab visits, and during each visit they engaged in two 15-20 minute play sessions. For each session, we calculated several quantitative outcome metrics, including the time spent using the joystick, distance traveled, and the number, duration, and complexity of joystick interactions.

Results: Every participant independently interacted with the joystick and moved the Explorer Mini during every session. Over 12 visits, participants significantly increased their distance traveled and the time spent with the joystick active. Surprisingly, we found that only 48% of joystick interactions resulted in device movement, which has important implications for learning.

Interpretation: These results can serve as a benchmark for caregivers and clinicians to understand early device use patterns. Furthermore, this knowledge can be used to inform the design of new powered mobility technologies for toddlers with disabilities or support the refinement of existing devices.