Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities

A new course that will train students in social-technological entrepreneurship with an emphasis on solutions for people with disabilities has started at the Technion. Disability Breakthrough Technology is open to all Technion students, as well as students studying physiotherapy at the University of Haifa. It will include visits to the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital and the Rehabilitation Hospital at Sheba Medical Center. Course topics will include accessibility, psychology of people with disabilities, aspects of design, and background in biomedical engineering, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy.

Dr. Yacov Malinovich

According to Dr. Yacov Malinovich, who leads the course, “In recent years, awareness of the needs of disabled people has increased, and this has become even more important in light of the ongoing war. Some of the solutions lie in the development of suitable technologies for rehabilitation, and this is an opportunity for students and engineers to contribute significantly and directly to people’s well-being. Israel has extensive knowledge in this field, with many examples – unique wheelchairs, emergency bracelets, special surfboards, and more.”

Example of an assistive device

Dr. Malinovich is one of the founders of Haifa3D (www.haifa3d.org). Haifa 3D is a volunteer organization that designs and manufactures assistive devices for children and adults with upper limb disabilities, including “robotic” hands for children and many other devices tailored to the requests of those with disabilities. The organization has a long-term collaboration with the Biorobotics and Biomechanics Lab (BRML) in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and other faculties at the Technion.

“The new course will be conducted from an interdisciplinary approach and will feature guests from various academic and rehabilitation institutions,” said Dr. Maliovich. “Through our connection with rehabilitation institutions and people with disabilities, we aim to develop relevant technological solutions that will truly assist those in need. At the end of the course, each student team will submit their product as a final project.”

The course will be held at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with t:hub – the Technion Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub, the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Haifa, and the Technion Social Incubator. It is an annual course worth six academic credits.