25-10-2012, 10:56 AM
Assistive Technology Research Center
ABSTRACT
The Assistive Technology Research Center,ATRC, is comprised of a set of interrelated research and development projects
which apply modem technologies, in particular those which have been exploited in the military, to the practice of medical
rehabilitation and technological support for independent living for individuals with disabilities. The Center seeks to work
collaboratively to meet the particular mandates of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Projects are
physically conducted and administratively located in the departments of rehabilitation engineering and neuroscience at the
National Rehabilitation Hospital. Individual researchers from several other hospital services and clinical professions are also
involved. The ATRC takes advantage of a unusual combination of skills, facilities and interests; specifically a strong
community of r&d specialists in biomedical engineering and neuropsychology is positioned to undertake collaborative projects
unlike those under way at more conventionally staffed laboratories. The projects whose progress is detailed in this report target
the needs of individuals with head injury, stroke, spinal cord injury and developmental disabilities These activities address the
clinical techniques of psychologists, occupational and physical therapist, physicians and speech pathogists. They make use of
technologies based particularly in software development but also in man-machine systems, human factors, biomechanics,
telehealth, virtual reality methods, and instrumentation. Assessment and enhancement of motor and cognitive function; and
support and measurement of functional performance are the prevailing research themes.