Award Data

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are severe neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by deficits in social and communication skills and the presence of restrictive, repetitive behaviors. For the 80 percent of individuals with ASDs who speak, prosody—the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech—is among the most noticeable and chronic impairments. Prosodic speech deficits impede social int ...

The goal of this Phase 1 project is to identify changes in residual limb volume in amputees and to warn the user when these changes may lead to potential problems. One cause of residual limb pain in amputees is improper prosthetic socket fit, causing a range of mild to unbearable pressures. Residual limbs can change shape over long timeframes which can change the interface between the socket and s ...

The goal of this project is to provide real-time monitoring and data logging to help both the patient and clinician determine if and when a scoliosis brace is being worn effectively. Despite widespread use of bracing for treatment of scoliosis, its efficacy remains unproven. Studies have indicated that user compliance is a large factor in the efficacy of scoliosis brace treatment. Two factors comp ...

This project creates an easy to use and unobtrusive hearing aid accessory that solves a very common problem for hearing aid users: understanding speech in noisy environments. A common problem amongst hearing aid users is trouble understanding speech while listening to a conversation in environments with competing speech babble noise and other noises such as restaurant conversations, social gatheri ...

This project develops a Virtual Reality Audio Simulator to enable the development of orientation and navigation skills for individuals who are blind. The simulator allows young adults undergoing orientation and mobility training to explore a virtual model of a realistic 3-D environment via auditory feedback. To create a fully immersive and interactive environment, the user wears headphones with he ...

This project develops a novel augmentative and alternative communications (AAC) device enabling individuals with severe motor disorders to communicate with a computer via signals emanating directly from their brain. The AAC prototype includes an email client that enables an individual to compose and send email without the use of residual motor control, using only a low-cost headset detecting brain ...

A wireless system to alert peope who are deaf of critical sounds and events in their environment, utilizing a new consumer product called a Bluetooth wristwatch, a wireless, wrist worn computer interface and display

A device which performs optimal face recognition in a miniature unobtrusive device that is built around a common aperture imaging camera with a convenient visible light camera.

Accessible and portable watercraft transfer devices that provide safe access to boats for individuals who have difficulty boarding boats, such as people with mobility impairments, balance issues, or lower extremity injuries

Model perception and understanding the spatial structure of organic molecules have historically been a source of difficulty for high school chemistry students. The classic ball-and-stick model, developed in 1865, is still used today to convey the fundamental characteristics of a molecular system. This model is an inadequate representation of a dynamic system, which fails to accurately represent ...