ATLAS

Assistive
Technology 
Laboratory
at
Stanford

Dan Somen, MS

Five Minute Overview of PRL & Room 36 Resources - Dan Somen is the manager of the Stanford's Product Realization Lab (PRL) Room 36, a rapid proof-of-concept prototyping facility, and a lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Dan co-teaches ME 103D: Engineering Drawing and Design, the fundamentals of engineering drawing including orthographic projection, dimensioning, sectioning, exploded and auxiliary views, assembly drawings, and SolidWorks. Dan, who holds an MS in Product Design from Stanford (2015) and a BS in Engineering and Applied Science from CalTech (2003), served as a PRL Teaching Assistant from 2013 to 2015. Before coming to Stanford, he was a consultant and senior engineer at Design Integrity, and a mechanical engineer at Visualize Inc and WMS Gaming.

Deborah E. Kenney, MS, OTR/L

Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine - Debbie Kenney has been an occupational therapist working with stroke survivors and hand patients for the last 26 years. She currently splits her time, as a researcher, between Stanford and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She has collaborated on numerous design / development research projects with both engineers as well as with graduate, medical, and undergraduate students. Her work includes testing and integrating technology into the rehabilitation setting with individuals with Parkinson's Disease, CVA (stroke), spinal cord injury, hand and orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation, and balance problems related to aging. Ms. Kenney currently works with researching problems of hand rehabilitation and treatment related to post surgical pain and thumb arthritis and continues to develop novel treatments for post-stroke survivors privately in the community.

Katherine Strausser, PhD

The Design and Control of Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation - Katie Strausser holds a Bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master's and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. She was one of three primary inventors of Ekso 1, an electro-mechanical lower extremity exoskeleton and is currently a senior controls engineer at Ekso Bionics working on control algorithms and software for various research efforts focusing on the Human Machine Interface.

Magical Bridge Playground

Field Trip to the Magical Bridge Playground - Of the 34 existing public parks in Palo Alto today, not one has been built with everyone’s unique physical and cognitive needs in mind. Most of the playground designs are similar and do not reflect the many different types of people living in the community such as those with autism, visual and hearing impairments, cognitive challenges, and even older adults. The urgent need to create a playground that would surpass ADA standards was the drive behind the vision for a new kind of playground - one designed for everyone. The $4 million needed to create such a place was raised privately in less than two years. Created by a team of inclusion experts and located in Palo Alto’s Mitchell Park, the Magical Bridge Playground broke ground in June 2014. Now that it is completed, it is the nation's most innovative inclusive playground. All are welcome to attend this field trip.

Aging 2.0 Grand Challenges

The Silicon Valley Technology for Aging Series is presented by Aging 2.0 Palo Alto and the Avenidas Generations Lab and focuses on employing digital technology to address the real problems facing older adults.

Local information and communications technology innovators are working to digitally connect, engage, and network older adults, the largest healthcare subpopulation group and the fastest growing consumer market group. At this event, participating startups and product developers will present on Personal Data & Collaborative Communications Technologies for Older Adults. Topics will include personal medical data systems automation, personal data aggregation and management, personal memory data systems, collaborative integrated family / service tools, social media application integrations for family and caregiver services, voice interface applications, personal services platform development, and more. By attending this event, aspiring designers and developers - including students - will gain application knowledge from practicing care services experts and leading technology innovators, make cross-disciplinary networking links with dedicated professionals, and improve their design and planning vision.

Film Screening - 4 Wheel Bob - 72 minutes

The 20th United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) presents 4 Wheel Bob. Bob Coomber, an intrepid adventurer, sets out to be the first wheelchair hiker to cross the 11,845-foot Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada. This story of overcoming immense obstacles will inspire us to look at our own self-imposed limitations and perhaps reach beyond what we think is possible. Both Bob and the filmmaker, Tal Skloot, will join the screening and participate in a panel discussion. Film website - trailer (2:03).

Abilities Expo

The Abilities Expo is the go-to source for the community of people with disabilities, their families, seniors, veterans, and healthcare professionals. This event offers new technologies, possibilities, solutions, and opportunities. Discover ability-enhancing products and services, play adaptive sports, and attend informative workshops.

Film Screening - Through My Eyes: Hani’s Journey - 30 minutes

The 20th United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) presents Through My Eyes: Hani’s Journey. This 30 minute film follows the journey of blind Syrian refugee Hani Al Moliya from the camps in Lebanon to Canada. Told through his photos, it is a story of triumph against adversity, set against the backdrop of the Syria crisis. Film website - trailer (3:55).