Major trends in mobility technology

A new thematic series ‘Major trends in mobility technology’ was recently published in Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.  Guest edited by Brian Caulfield and Silvestro Micera, this series aims to review mobility technology research in Europe.

Research leaders from the USA and members of the World Technology Evaluation Corporation visited top research institutions within Europe to survey new innovations and trends intechnology that might lead to greater mobility for a wider range of people.  Articles within the series include details of these interactions and report a positive picture of research and innovation in the field.  However, there is still potential for improvements in approach and infrastructure.

The series editorial describes the importance of collaboration between researchers in the USA and Europe to reduce duplication and ‘deliver a more efficient research and innovation process by means of achieving economies of scale, and enhanced combinations of expertise addressing the problem’.

Review articles and short reports focus on a variety of trends including technologies for enhancing movement training, personalized neuromusculoskeletal modelling and wearable sensors with application in rehabilitation.

A commentary by Reinkensmeyer et al., which gives an overview of the results of this survey, concludes that ‘researchers in the field have identified and are solving key problems that have limited progress in mobility technology.  It is expected that advances in mobility technology will substantially expand participation in desired life activities for a wider range of people in future years.’

We hope you enjoy reading the series and if you would like to receive details of further publications within the journal please do sign up for article alerts.

 

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