ROBOTICS SEMINAR

Speaker: Patrick Slade

Title: Improving Health with Human-Centered Robotics

Day: Monday, March 28, 2022

Time: 10:45-11:45am

Location: Room E219 EQuad

Host: Anirudha Majumdar

Abstract:

Globally, billions of people face mobility challenges like obesity, age-related diseases, and physical limitations which negatively impact health. Wearable devices that merge robotics, biomechanics, and human-centered AI can enable people to overcome these challenges. We will discuss key ideas for building intelligent assistive devices with several case studies. 1) A simple wearable system worn on one leg that accurately calculates calories expended during exercise, with three-fold lower error than a smartwatch. 2) A portable exoskeleton that personalizes assistance during real-world walking, which reduces walking effort (equivalent to removing an 18-pound backpack) and increases walking speed (by 9%) compared to normal shoes. 3) A robotic cane that improves navigation and increases walking speed by 20% for people with impaired vision. These projects focus on developing technology that is low-cost and easily reproducible to work towards tools for underserved populations. We will also explore how wearable monitoring and assistive devices will impact personal health in the future.

Bio:

Patrick Slade received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford in 2021 and is now a Distinguished Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioengineering as part of the Stanford Human Performance Alliance. His research combines robotics, biomechanics, and human-centered AI to build intelligent health models and assistive devices. He explores how we can safely and effectively integrate human-robot systems so people can live healthier and more independent lives. His work focuses on solutions that are open-source and low-cost to make care accessible for underserved populations. Patrick was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, named a Forbes 30 under 30 in healthcare, and has published in journals like Science Robotics and Nature Communications.