The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab just signed a $940K contract to investigate the benefits of a powered myoelectric upper-limb orthosis for stroke patients with hemiparesis. We will be investigating the ability of the exoskeleton device to: 1) improve upper-limb function, 2) improve quality of life, and 3) rehabilitate the impaired limb. This project is built on the PhD work started by Caleb Thomson (BME PhD), and will now be led by Leonardo Ferrisi (BME PhD) going forward, with support from Caden Hamrick (ECE PhD) as well. This project represents of the the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab's first large scale (N=40) clinical trials and will provide critical insight into how to truly transform stroke care across a large and diverse cohort of patients. This project will also involve hiring and collaborating with multiple occupational therapists, which will establish much greater connections between the lab and the therapists in the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, further increasing the translatability and impact of our research.
