Training Projects

Liberty Science Center Training Workshops for Young Adults on the Field of Assistive Technology through the Development of an Adaptable Video Game
The collaboration with the Liberty Science Center is an integral part of our dissemination activity for the RERC on Technology for Children with Orthopedic Disabilities.

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Liberty Science Center, and Children’s Specialized Hospital have organized two events thus far, October 2007 and May 2008. The next 3-day event will be in the fall of 2008.

The May 2008 event consisted of the following activities:

Day 1: Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH) gave a presentation on orthopedic disabilities and assistive technology. Students completed a tutorial on the gaming platform. Groups were assigned a case study of a child with an orthopedic disability and asked to research it on the internet. In the afternoon, collaborators at CSH set up stations of assistive technology demonstrations. Stations included power wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs with power assist, passive standers, patient lifts, trial of seat cushions, baby positioning, and multiple types of augmentative communications.

Day 2: Groups created their game based on the assigned orthopedic disability. Groups were asked to give recommendations on which type of assistive technologies would be appropriate, based on the equipment demonstrated on Day 1. In the afternoon, groups presented their recommendations.

Day 3: Groups presented their games and toured Liberty Science Center.Fifty 8th graders were introduced to the field of assistive technology through lectures, assistive technology demonstrations, cases studies, and through the development of adaptable video games at Liberty Science Center, the premier science and technology museum for children in New Jersey.

Speakers and Webcasts
Check here for webcasts from notable speakers, faculty, and students.

Conferences
This years annual Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) conference took place June 27-30, 2008. The attendees had a great time making connections and talking to visitors about our research.