Date: Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Category: General
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Center for the Translation of Rehabilitation Engineering Advances and Technology (TREAT) is partnering with RESNA to offer an award, “Technology Most Likely to Become Commercially Available,” to one of five finalists in the annual RESNA Student Design Competition. The award comes with a $500 cash prize to the winning team and an invitation for one team member to spend 3 weeks at the TREAT facilities in Lebanon, NH working with TREAT staff and resources to further develop the winning design and move it towards commercialization.
For over 30 years, the RESNA Student Design Competition (SDC) has showcased creative and innovative assistive technology designs that help people with disabilities function more independently. Student teams represent a wide variety of disciplines including mechanical, electrical and biomedical engineering; computer information science; architecture; and physical and occupational therapy. Entries are judged on originality, quality of design, and usefulness to persons with disabilities. Past submissions and application information can be found by clicking here. SDC winners have frequently moved on to become leaders in the field of assistive technology.
Student teams must register their intent to submit by April 27, 2012. The final submission deadline is May 4, 2012. Ten semi-finalist teams win an all-expense paid trip for two team members to the RESNA Annual Conference, which is in Baltimore, MD from June 28- July 3, 2012. At the conference, students have the opportunity to present their designs, meet with developers, and network with assistive technology professionals. Up to five finalists are announced at the conference; every member of the finalist teams receives a free annual membership to RESNA (a $150 value), which enables them to continue to network actively with other professionals and participate in RESNA events. TREAT will select one of the finalists to receive the “Technology Most Likely to Become Commercially Available” award.
The National Science Foundation is an overall sponsor of the 2012 Student Design Competition. RESNA is very grateful for the Foundation’s continuing support.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for student designers to see their idea go from concept to reality,” said RESNA President Jerry Weisman, MSME, ATP, RET. “We’re very grateful to TREAT for coming on board this year and offering the expertise and resources to develop a potential product.”
To submit to the Student Design Competition, please click here.
About RESNA
RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency. Visit www.resna.org.
About TREAT
TREAT is the Center for the Translation of Rehabilitation Engineering Advances and Technology, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R24 network of rehabilitation resource centers. TREAT focuses on technology transfer and comparative effectiveness research and is funded through the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR), part of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). TREAT is a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, collaborative consortium between corporate, educational and non-profit entities providing infrastructure support and expert consultation to researchers and innovators interested in the translation and commercialization of rehabilitation research applications. Visit http://www.simbex.com/TREAT.