Rehabilitation engineering is the systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities. These individuals may have experienced a spinal cord injury, brain trauma, or any other debilitating injury or disease (such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, West Nile,

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...

, etc.). Functional areas addressed through rehabilitation engineering may include mobility, communications, hearing, vision, and cognition, and activities associated with employment, independent living, education, and integration into the community.

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) is an association of people with an interest in technology and disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a per ...

, the association and certifying organization of professionals within the field of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology in North America, defines the role of a Rehabilitation Engineer as well as the role of a Rehabilitation Technician, Assistive Technologist, and Rehabiltiation Technologist (not all the same) in the 2017 approved White Paper available online on their website.

Qualifications

While some rehabilitation engineers have master's degrees in rehabilitation engineering, usually a subspecialty of

Biomedical engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...

, most rehabilitation engineers have

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

or graduate degrees in

biomedical engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

, or

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. A Portuguese university provides an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in Rehabilitation Engineering and Accessibility. Qualification to become a Rehab Engineer in the UK is possible via a University BSc Honours Degree course such as Health Design & Technology Institute, Coventry University. Professional registration of NHS Rehab Engineers is with the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Associations

Many of the Rehabilitation Engineering professionals join multidisciplinary scientific and technical associations with a common interest in the field of Assistive Technology and Accessibility. Examples ar
RESNA - Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North AmericaRESJA - Rehabilitation Engineering Society of JAPANAAATE - Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in EuropeARATA – Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology AssociationAITADIS - Asociación Iberoamericana de Tecnologías de Apoyo a la Discapacidad
an
SUPERA – Portuguese Society of Rehabilitation Engineering, Assistive Technologies and Accessibility
Other organizations, lik
RESMAG
and th
National Committee on Rehabilitation Engineering of Engineers Australia
are also committed to developing and providing resources that support the practice of rehabilitation engineers. The

(RESNA), whose mission is to "improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology", is one of the main professional societies for rehabilitation engineers. RESNA's annual conference is held in the Washington, D.C., area in July.

Assistive Technology devices

The rehabilitation process for

people with disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

often entails mechanical design of assistive devices such as

Walking aids A mobility aid is a device designed to assist walking or otherwise improve the mobility of people with a mobility impairment. There are various #Walking aids, walking aids which can help people with impaired ability to walk, and wheelchairs or ...

intended to promote inclusion of their users into the mainstream of society, commerce, and recreation. Device development can range from purely mechanical to mechatronics and software. Within the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

of the United Kingdom Rehabilitation Engineers are commonly involved with assessment and provision of wheelchairs and seating to promote good posture and independent mobility. This includes electrically powered wheelchairs, active user (lightweight) manual wheelchairs, and in more advanced clinics this may include assessments for specialist wheelchair control systems and/or bespoke seating solutions. The A-SET Mind Controlled Wheelchair has been invented by

Diwakar Vaish Diwakar Vaish ( ; born 23 July 1992) is an Indian born robotics researcher and Head of Robotics and Research at A-SET Training and Research Institutes (2010–present). He is the developer of India's first completely indigenous 3D printed humanoi ...

, the head of Robotics and Research at A-SET Training and Research Institutes, India. It is of great importance to patients with

locked-in syndrome Locked-in syndrome (LIS), also known as pseudocoma, is a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for vertical eye movements and bli ...

, it uses neural signals to command the wheelchair. This is the world's first in production neurally controlled wheelchair. Many of these devices are not designed to be multi-functional or to be easy to use.

Ongoing research

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers conduct research in the rehabilitation engineering, each focusing on one general area or aspect of disability. For example, the

Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute is a nonprofit research institute in San Francisco, California, with a focus on vision science and rehabilitation engineering. It was founded in 1959 by Arthur Jampolsky and Alan B. Scott, when some mem ...

conducts research for the blind and

visually impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

. Many of the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

Rehabilitation Research & Development Centers conduct rehabilitation engineering research.

References

{{Reflist Engineering disciplines Health care occupations Rehabilitation medicine

Qualifications

Professional, Scientific and Technical Associations

Assistive Technology devices

Ongoing research

See also

References