RE2, Inc. Awarded NIH Grant to Conduct Robotic Arm Research – RE2 partners with the University of Pittsburgh to Assess Technology for People with Disabilities

RE2, Inc. announced today that the company has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health to perform research and development of a Patient Assist Robotic Arm (PARA). The goal of this SBIR program is to engineer a practical solution to allow people with severe disabilities who require assistance (human or mechanical) to transfer to and from a wheelchair in their homes, homes of friends/family, and in the community (e.g., hotels, restaurants, shopping malls) in a safe, comfortable, efficient, and convenient manner. The intent of this project is to conduct further research and development of the University of Pittsburgh’s wheelchair mounted mobile robotic assisted transfer system to determine its feasibility and potential for marketability. RE2 is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh and the Veterans Administration to conduct this research at their Human Engineering Research Laboratories.