Welcome to this edition of  Perspectives,  the e-newsletter of the Stanford course, Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

What is the course? - Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter course at Stanford that explores issues surrounding the design, development, and use of assistive technology benefitting people with disabilities and seniors. More information can be found on the course website.

Invitation to attend - You are invited to attend all class lectures. They will be held in Building 530, Classroom 127 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 4:15 to 5:30pm and are free and open to the public.

Next lecture - Tuesday, January 24th at 4:15pm:

Abstract: Doug will describe several examples of rehabilitation engineering projects he has worked on - giving his personal insight into the design process, relating his experiences, and passing along some helpful guiding advice he has received or learned over the years.

Biosketch: Doug Schwandt began his career in Rehabilitation Engineering with a Stanford ME210 (now ME310) student team design project creating the Handbike, the first arm-powered, two-wheeled bicycle for individuals with lower-limb disabilities. After graduation, he continued development of the Handbike as well as designing various other devices in the Design Development group at the Palo Alto VA Rehab R&D Center, including finger-spelling hands, hyper/hypo gravity devices and specialty cycle ergometers. Over the years, Doug has also consulted on exciting and challenging projects outside of the VA, including exercise concepts for long-term space travel, MRI compatible fixtures and mobility devices, and robots for physical therapy. No longer a VA employee, Doug continues to work with universities and companies as a free-lance consulting design engineer, and part-time as a springboard diving coach. His recent consulting projects include working with Kinea Design on the DARPA prosthetic arm and haptic interface, and contributing to the development of the MDEA gold medal winning M300 series Anti-Gravity Treadmill at AlterG.

Abstract: Jacon will discuss applications for the Anti-Gravity Treadmill in physical therapy, rehabilitation, and training. Using NASA patented Differential Air Pressure technology, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill provides a new possibilities for the treatment of orthopedic, neurologic, geriatric, and pediatric patients and elevates expectations in sports traning. He will discuss how this technology can help shape future medical care.

Biosketch: Jacon Chun has over 12 years of experience in the medical field as a physical therapist and athletic trainer, and is one of only a handful of therapists in the Bay Area that hold certification as a Sports Clinical Specialist. He was on staff in the Stanford Sports Medicine Department from 2003-2006, treating the Cardinal student-athletes that participate in over 34 varsity sports. He was introduced to the Anti-Gravity Treadmill at this time, and saw the benefits first hand with the track athletes and post-surgical patients that used the AlterG in their rehabilitation programs. Jacon currently serves as Clinical Specialist for AlterG, educating people about all the fantastic applications possible with the Anti-Gravity Treadmill. He is a practicing physical therapist and owns two small private clinics in the East Bay.

Do you have a question or comment? - David L. Jaffe, MS, the course instructor, can be reached by email or at 650/892-4464.