NIH funds robotic mobility research

A total of approximately $2.3 million over the next five years will help develop "co-robots" that can work with people to improve their day-to-day lives and their health.

Among the projects destined to get funds is a University of Michigan project aimed at developing a lightweight and wearable robotic exoskeleton that can help restore limb movement in those who have suffered a stroke.

Another project, now underway at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, is the development of a computerized wheelchair that can be controlled by the user's head movements. By installing a miniature camera in a pair of eyeglasses, the system will be able to detect directional head movements and move the wheelchair accordingly.