ELECTRONIC ORIENTATION, MOBILITY AND SAFETY SYSTEM FOR WHEELCHAIR BOUND HANDICAPPED PERSONS

THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR AN ELECTRONIC ORIENTATION, MOBILITY AND SAFETY SYSTEM FOR WHEELCHAIR BOUND HANDICAPPED PERSONS. THE DEVICE IS PROJECTED TO SERVE TWO MAJOR FUNCTIONS: 1) AS A TEACHING ANDCOMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR PROFESSIONALS TO TRAIN PERSONS WITH SINGULAR, MULTIPLE, AND/OR SEVERE DISABILITIES; 2) AS A PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY MOBILITY AID USABLE BY PERSONS WITH THESE DISABILITIES. THE RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE THE ADAPTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LASER, ULTRASOUND, OPTIC, AUDITORY, TACTILE, MECHANICAL, ELECTRONIC, AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES. THE GOAL WILL BE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR A WIDE RANGE OF INDIVIDUALS CONFINED TO WHEELCHAIRS, AND WHO HAVE DISABILITIES SUCH AS THOSE RESULTING FROM STROKE, CEREBRAL PALAY, CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS AND OTHER BIRTH DEFECTS, NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON'S DISEASE, CANCER, ACCIDENTS & POISONINGS, SURGERY, ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, ETC. THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR AN ELECTRONIC ORIENTATION, MOBILITY AND SAFETY SYSTEM FOR WHEELCHAIR BOUND HANDICAPPED PERSONS. THE DEVICE IS PROJECTED TO SERVE TWO MAJOR FUNCTIONS: 1) AS A TEACHING ANDCOMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR PROFESSIONALS TO TRAIN PERSONS WITH SINGULAR, MULTIPLE, AND/OR SEVERE DISABILITIES; 2) AS A PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY MOBILITY AID USABLE BY PERSONS WITH THESE DISABILITIES. THE RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE THE ADAPTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LASER, ULTRASOUND, OPTIC, AUDITORY, TACTILE, MECHANICAL, ELECTRONIC, AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES. THE GOAL WILL BE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR A WIDE RANGE OF INDIVIDUALS CONFINED TO WHEELCHAIRS, AND WHO HAVE DISABILITIES SUCH AS THOSE RESULTING FROM STROKE, CEREBRAL PALAY, CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS AND OTHER BIRTH DEFECTS, NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON'S DISEASE, CANCER, ACCIDENTS & POISONINGS, SURGERY, ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, ETC.