NIH To Fund Three Robotic Projects To Improve Health And Quality Of Life
Executive Summary
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to provide $2.2 million in funding over the next five years for the development of three innovative "co-robot" projects: an affordable hand-worn device to help the visually impaired grasp objects, a smart-walker to increase mobility in the elderly and a social-robot companion for children. The hand-worn device, which can detect a small object and help the blind user maintain alignment with the object while approaching it, has a global market potential of nearly $20 billion.