2151611
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
SBIR Phase I: Development of the WeeBot, an infant-controlled powered ride-on device for children with motor impairments - The broader impact/commercial potential of this Phase I project is its innovative and potentially transformative contribution to assistive technologies for infants with motor impairment.
In the United States, over 40,000 infants per year are born with conditions, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Down syndrome, that often result in motor impairment. There is currently no device that provides independent movement to infants with motor limitations.
Since children learn a great deal about their physical and social environments when they begin to crawl/walk, conditions that deny or delay independent movement can impact cognitive, language, and social development. A device that will let these infants move and explore at the same age as other children could mitigate these developmental delays and facilitate full integration into society.
Lifetime cost of healthcare for these children has been estimated at $250,000. Providing early independent movement could result in a potential $50,000 lifetime reduction in additional interventions such as behavioral and occupational therapy, special education, and the need for healthcare and educational aides. This amounts to over $200,000,000 in savings per year to the health and education systems.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need, expressed by parents and therapists, for a device that will allow infants with motor impairment to move independently at the same age as their typically developing peers. Currently, no such device is available.
The intellectual merit of the proposed work is the development of a novel control method for a powered device that can be used by infants as young as 6 months old: the device moves in the direction that the infant leans (as when reaching toward a toy or parent) while preventing collisions and falls. Previous research has shown that infants as young as five months old can learn to use this control method to purposefully steer a powered device in all directions.
The research objectives of this project are to build and validate a second-generation prototype that can be used by parents and clinicians outside of a research setting. Successful completion of these objectives will advance the device from a research testbed to a viable, if limited, prototype, enabling future work to evaluate the impact of the device on the development of cognitive, social, and communication skills for infants with disabilities.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
In the United States, over 40,000 infants per year are born with conditions, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Down syndrome, that often result in motor impairment. There is currently no device that provides independent movement to infants with motor limitations.
Since children learn a great deal about their physical and social environments when they begin to crawl/walk, conditions that deny or delay independent movement can impact cognitive, language, and social development. A device that will let these infants move and explore at the same age as other children could mitigate these developmental delays and facilitate full integration into society.
Lifetime cost of healthcare for these children has been estimated at $250,000. Providing early independent movement could result in a potential $50,000 lifetime reduction in additional interventions such as behavioral and occupational therapy, special education, and the need for healthcare and educational aides. This amounts to over $200,000,000 in savings per year to the health and education systems.
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need, expressed by parents and therapists, for a device that will allow infants with motor impairment to move independently at the same age as their typically developing peers. Currently, no such device is available.
The intellectual merit of the proposed work is the development of a novel control method for a powered device that can be used by infants as young as 6 months old: the device moves in the direction that the infant leans (as when reaching toward a toy or parent) while preventing collisions and falls. Previous research has shown that infants as young as five months old can learn to use this control method to purposefully steer a powered device in all directions.
The research objectives of this project are to build and validate a second-generation prototype that can be used by parents and clinicians outside of a research setting. Successful completion of these objectives will advance the device from a research testbed to a viable, if limited, prototype, enabling future work to evaluate the impact of the device on the development of cognitive, social, and communication skills for infants with disabilities.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Awardee
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Ithaca,
New York
14850-5906
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
None
Assistance In Motion was awarded
Project Grant 2151611
worth $256,000
from National Science Foundation in September 2022 with work to be completed primarily in Ithaca New York United States.
The grant
has a duration of 1 year and
was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase I
Title
SBIR Phase I:Development of the WeeBot, an Infant-controlled Powered Ride-on Device for Children with Motor Impairments
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Phase I project is its innovative and potentially transformative contribution to assistive technologies for infants with motor impairment. In the United States, over 40,000 infants per year are born with conditions, such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Down syndrome, that often result in motor impairment. There is currently no device that provides independent movement to infants with motor limitations. Since children learn a great deal about their physical and social environments when they begin to crawl/walk, conditions that deny or delay independent movement can impact cognitive, language, and social development. A device that will let these infants move and explore at the same age as other children could mitigate these developmental delays and facilitate full integration into society.Lifetime cost of healthcare for these children has been estimated at $250,000. Providing early independent movement could result in a potential $50,000 lifetime reduction in additional interventions such, as behavioral and occupational therapy, special education, and the need for healthcare and educational aides.This amounts to over $200,000,000 in savings per year to the health and education systems.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need, expressed by parents and therapists, for a device that will allow infants with motor impairment to move independently at the same age as their typically developing peers. Currently, no such device is available.The intellectual merit of the proposed work is the development of a novel control method for a powered device that can be used by infants as young as 6 months old:The device moves in the direction that the infant leans (as when reaching toward a toy or parent) while preventing collisions and falls.Previous research has shown that infants as young as five months old can learn to use this control method to purposefully steer a powered device in all directions. The research objectives of this project are to build and validate a second-generation prototype that can be used by parents and clinicians outside of a research setting. Successful completion of these objectives will advance the device from a research testbed to a viable, if limited, prototype, enabling future work to evaluate the impact of the device on the development of cognitive, social, and communication skills for infants with disabilities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Topic Code
R
Solicitation Number
NSF 21-562
Status
(Complete)
Last Modified 9/20/22
Period of Performance
9/15/22
Start Date
8/31/23
End Date
Funding Split
$256.0K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$256.0K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2151611
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Awardee UEI
DV73QTFH3KV5
Awardee CAGE
8KTZ8
Performance District
23
Senators
Kirsten Gillibrand
Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Representative
Nickolas Langworthy
Budget Funding
Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Research and Related Activities, National Science Foundation (049-0100) | General science and basic research | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $256,000 | 100% |
Modified: 9/20/22