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Translational research on assistive technology for persons with disabilities

Guest Editors:
Ahmed Morsy: Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt
Aliaa Rehan Youssef: Faculties of Engineering and Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt



The Editors of BMC Digital Health and BMC Biomedical Engineering launched a collection on "Translational Research on Assistive Technology for Persons with Disabilities".

There are many examples of AT solutions and their uses in assisting PwDs. For example, virtual reality-based solutions contributed significantly to rehabilitation and improved surgery planning. Rehabilitation robots and exoskeletons enabled improved patient mobility and helped restore critical locomotor functions. Nevertheless, a substantial gap still exists between numerous research activities in the AT domain and available commercial solutions in the market that can address the needs of a wide range of PwDs at a large scale and with economic viability. 

Assistive technology (AT) represents a great opportunity for better societal integration of persons with disabilities (PwDs) and improving the quality of their life. This integration is also bound to reduce the economic burden associated with disabilities. AT can have a profound role in assisting a variety of activities of daily living, as well as predicting, detecting, and preventing various types of injuries. Solutions based on AT have benefited from the evolution of numerous emerging technologies, such as wearable sensors, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), serious gaming, and 3D printing.

The aim of this special collection is to shed light on some of the current endeavors in translational research on AT for PWDs. Researchers and experts from around the world are invited to submit original contributions and review papers to help capture the current state of AT research and develop insights into the nature and extent of the above-mentioned gap.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Ahmed Morsy: Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt

Professor Ahmed Morsy is the Chair of the Biomedical Engineering department at Cairo University and the Strategy Team Lead at the Faculty of Engineering – Cairo University. Dr. Morsy is the Founder and Chairman of Nebras Technology, an Egyptian venture focused on healthcare information management solutions. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University, USA. Dr. Morsy was the Editor in Chief of the IEEE Pulse magazine. He was Lead R&D Engineer at Philips Medical Systems in Seattle, USA and was also the General Manger of IBE Technologies, Egypt. He later served as senior advisor on IT strategy planning to the Chairman of Egypt National Post Organization and held the position of Senior Program Manager at the Microsoft Innovation Center in Cairo. Dr. Morsy has several United States patents and international publications.

Aliaa Rehan Youssef: Faculties of Engineering and Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt

Aliaa Rehan Youssef is a Professor of Orthopedic Physical Therapy and Biomechanics at the faculties of Engineering and Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt. She received her PhD in Biomechanics from the University of Calgary, Canada. Dr Rehan Youssef is a co-founder and clinical research consultant at TRUST research center, Egypt. She has over 20 years of clinical expertise as a consultant physiotherapist at various clinical settings. She also serves as a clinical advisor for VRapeutic; a UNICEF portfolio company for therapeutic and rehabilitative solutions. Her primary research focus is rehabilitation technology and she has many international publications. She is also an associate editor of the Bulletin of the Faculty of Physical Therapy. 

About the collection

The Editors of BMC Digital Health and BMC Biomedical Engineering launched a collection on "Translational Research on Assistive Technology for Persons with Disabilities".

The scope of this topical collection includes AT for traditional impairments (locomotor, cognitive, visual, or auditory) as well as various disabilities and injury risks that may affect older populations. Submitted articles cover one of the following areas:

•    AT design and validation. 
•    Evaluation of AT relevant aspects such as usability, cost, or clinical efficacy.
•    Potential barriers and facilitators for the adoption of AT solutions. 

Research designs may include technical reports, proof-of-concept, clinical trials, observational studies, case studies or series, and various types of reviews.

Submitted articles are expected to cover various enabling technologies, including:
 
•    IoMT
•    Wearable sensors
•    3D printing 
•    Serious gaming 
•    Surgical and rehabilitation robotics
•    Mobile applications

For articles on 3D printing and Surgical and rehabilitation robotics submit to BMC Biomedical Engineering. For all other articles fitting the scope of this collection submit to BMC Digital Health.

Image credit: natasaadzic/iStock

  1. Movement is a central behavior of daily living; thus lost or compromised movement due to disease, injury, or amputation causes enormous loss of productivity and quality of life. While prosthetics have evolved ...

    Authors: Sherif M. Elbasiouny
    Citation: BMC Biomedical Engineering 2024 6:9
    Content type: Review Published on: