The Duerstock IAS Lab explores engineering solutions to overcome the functional limitations and health challenges of those with chronic disabilities to promote greater independence, productivity, well-being and community participation.

We develop innovative healthcare and assistive technologies (AT) for activities of daily living and specific tasks for education, work and transportation.

Major Research Areas 

Physiological Sensing: Using artificial intelligence for the automatic detection of autonomic dysreflexia in persons with high-level spinal cord injuries using wearable sensors. 

Accessible Environments: Inclusively designed environments from science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) labs to autonomous vehicles (AVs) enable independent access, efficient interaction, and safety for individuals with disabilities.  

Assistive Technology: AT devices for general use or task-specific activities benefit from AI and optimization approaches to enhance usability. 

Assistive Robotics: Robots have the potential to revolutionize the functionality of persons with physical disabilities. Optimum human-robot interaction may include incorporating multiple control modalities, including gesture and speech recognition, and multisensory feedback, such as through haptics, auditory, vibrotactile, and visual interfaces.              

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