7/2/2021 Veronica Severini
Written by Veronica Severini
The Master of Science in Health Technology is a one-year professional program created jointly by us at HCESC and the College of Applied Health Sciences. The program caters to those interested in wearable technology, assistive robots, virtual reality, and many other applications of technology to health sciences. Students can tailor elective courses to their own interests and complete a capstone project with industry, academic, or community partners. The program's first cohort of six students reflect the interdisciplinary approach of the program: they have degrees in medical anthropology, computer science, psychology, civil and environmental engineering, and community health. Read more about the formation of the program and a perspective from one of the MSHT students on page 20 of our Annual Report.
During the second semester, students split into two groups to complete a group project. Group one consisted of students Amrutha Kumaran, Marlene Robles Granda, and Tia King and created a pneumatically-controlled rehabilitation device. The students designed a soft, robotic boot with two pneumatic actuators, which are intended to help the patient in foot rehabilitation, particularly in creating flexion and extension. The students built different sizes of McKibben actuators (air muscles) to create flexion and extension motions by using an air pump. They used the Machine Shop in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to create air inlets and test the air muscles under different weights. They also fabricated a textile silicone strain sensor with a laser-cut mold, which they attempted to attach to the foot. This sensor was intended to receive feedback on the patient's intention to control the air pump, however the silicone was too thick and not sensitive enough to strain. Students attached the muscles to a boot with velcro straps, demonstrating foot flexion by manually pumping air with a bike pump.
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The second group consisted of students Neva Manalil, Gabrielle Choo-Kang, and Asif Huq, and they focused on fall detection using an accelerometer. The students developed a fall-detection and alarm system using the Arduino board and ADXL345 acceleraomter. The patient wears a a fanny pack, which has the Arduino and accelerometer as well as a Bluetooth transmitter inside. By thresholding the readings from the accelerometer, falls could be detected. The Bluetooth transmitter sent a “1” to an Arduino-based receiver, presumably held by the patient’s caregiver, when a fall was detected, allowing the caregiver to respond immediately.
Students look forward to completing their capstone projects this summer, where they will work with an academic, industry, or community partner. For more information about the Masters in Health Technology program and how to apply, click here.