COUNTRY FOCUS: ISRAEL
“
WE HOPE TO UNLOCK
NEW CAPABILITIES FOR MOBILITY
IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND IMPROVE
THE PATIENTS’ QUALITY OF LIFE.
mounted robotic arm to assist patients with
spinal injuries in performing daily tasks. The
device will be clinically evaluated and tested
with children at ALYN Hospital, Israel’s most
advanced adolescent rehabilitation centre.
“Neuromorphic computing is a natural fit for
assistive technologies, given its low power
requirements and ability to learn and adapt
to new situations in real time. Through
Intel and Accenture’s work with the Open
University of Israel and ALYN Hospital, we
hope to unlock new capabilities for mobility
impaired children and improve the patients’
quality of life,” said Mike Davies, Director of
Intel’s Neuromorphic Computing Lab.
More than 75 million people in the world
require a wheelchair for mobility. For those
with neuromuscular or spinal cord injuries
that result in upper extremity impairments,
even the most basic tasks, like drinking from
a cup or eating with a spoon, can become
insurmountable. Among such patients, the
ability to reach and accurately manipulate
objects is consistently rated as one of their
most important challenges.
Assistive robotics can fill this gap. Studies
suggest that wheelchair-mounted robotic
arms provide an increased sense of
independence for users and that these
assistive tools can reduce the need for
caregiver time by up to 41%. Today,
however, the cost of these devices is
incredibly high, making them virtually
inaccessible to most people who need them.
This is largely due to the expensive parts
needed to enable the arm to adapt to the
user and the environment in real time.
The real-time learning capability of Intel’s
neuromorphic research chip, Loihi, shows
potential to reduce the cost of creating and
operating such devices. By utilising Loihi’s
real-time learning, researchers predict they
can implement adaptive control to enhance
the arm’s functionality, while using affordable
parts that could reduce the cost by more than
10 times. Loihi’s power efficiency also shows
promise for making assistive technologies
more useful and effective in real-world
situations. Due to the fact that Loihi is up
to 1,000 times more energy efficient than
general-purpose processors, a Loihi-based
device could require less frequent charging,
making it more ideal for use in daily life.
Edy Liongosari, Technology Innovation
Growth and Strategy Lead and Chief
Research Scientist at Accenture, said:
“This research project is a powerful
demonstration of the impact that
neuromorphic computing can have on
the development of affordable intelligent
assistive devices. Making these devices
accessible, particularly to such young
patients, can have a profound impact
on their independence, improving the
way they live. We are looking forward to
teaming closely with the Open University
of Israel researchers, ALYN and Intel,
contributing our technical and industry
experience to advance this technology
for those who need it the most.”
Researchers at the Open University of
Israel and ALYN have already created
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