Exploration Soon Possible for Immobile Infants
Exploration Soon Possible for Immobile Infants
Unfortunately parents with infants that have mobility or orthopedic issues do not have many options when it comes to allowing their infant to explore on their own. Researchers at the University of Delaware are hoping to change that future.
Although not new research in mobility for children, infants do not currently have options to move around on their own. Professors? Cole Galloway and Sunil Agrawal are hoping to help immobile infants be able to explore their surroundings just like infants able to use their legs to move baby walkers and bouncers to explore.
?Wheeled robots? as the Foxnews.com article has named these hopeful mobile units will allow disabled infants mobility to move across rooms by sitting within their ?robot? and using a joystick device to move around. In order to help infants miss obstacle, l is using infrared to help units avoid possible obstacles.
Current studies involve infants, some as young as six months old, both with and without special needs, monitoring how each baby drives the robot. This first stage robot is a breakthrough for infants, but is still only in testing phase. Hopefully, with continued funding, Galloway and Agrawal can continue their research and create a next-generation robot for purchase.
Currently, mobile units are available in England. The Bath Institute developed and currently markets the Wizzybug which is available for children age 2 to 5. Another company, Dragonmobility Ltd., produces powered vehicles and has designed for children from age 11 months.
Dragonmobility you could say led the way for research in mobile units as their company was built based on a father?s creation to help his 21-month old daughter become mobile with spinal muscular atrophy. His daughter, Ruth Everard, now age 28 continues with Dragonmobility today helping infants and children explore.
Source: Researchers Put babies Behind the Wheel to Help Immobile Kids Move, Explore, Associated Press, Retrieved from Foxnews.com
