AMBULATION, OBJECT MANIPULATION, AND MULTIPLE DISABILITIES - EXTENDING THE APPLICABILITY OF A ROBOT

This study further tested the applicability of a robot with people wit h severe multiple disabilities. The robot was used to help two adults with blindness, deafness, motor disabilities, and low functioning leve ls ambulate and transport objects and enable them to reach a couch on which they could sit and put away the objects. Both adults learned to use the robot, succeeded in transporting and putting away objects, and achieved robot-assisted ambulation times of about 31 minutes per sess ion.