Dr. Max Ortiz-Catalan (LinkedIn, Google Scholar, website) shares his journey from electronics engineering to becoming a leading expert in neuroprosthetics. He discusses the challenges of medical device regulation across the world, the advancements in control mechanisms for prosthetics, and the role of machine learning in decoding user intentions. The conversation also touches on cultural perspectives regarding prosthetic acceptance and the importance of neuroplasticity in enhancing sensory feedback for users. Max discusses the complexities of neural interfaces and sensory feedback in prosthetics, the challenges of treating phantom limb pain, and his humanitarian efforts in Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict.

A few important links:

• The charitable foundation, Remedi Ukraine, supports individuals severely affected by war, such as students who lost their families and are in need of support to continue their education. LEARN MORE
• The Center for Complex Endoprosthesis, Osseointegration, and Bionics (CCEOB), along with Tytanovi, are charitable foundations devoted to the rehabilitation of people with limb loss. Located in Kyiv, Ukraine, they provide functional (prosthetics), psychological, and pain rehabilitation to those injured by war. LEARN MORE
• Prometei Pain Rehabilitation Center is charitable foundation dedicated to treat patients with neuropathic pain, in articular, phantom limb pain (PLP). LEARN MORE
• Theoretical framework for pain research: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2018.00748/full
• WIRED documentary on neuroprostheses: https://youtu.be/Ipw_2A2T_wg?si=8ASkmco4Eaa39a9n

In this conversation, Dr. Mark Hasegawa-Johnson (LinkedIn, Google Scholar), professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, and Clarion Mendez (LinkedIn), a professor of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois, discuss the Speech Accessibility Project, which aims to improve speech recognition technology for individuals with speech impairments. They explore the evolution of speech recognition, the variability of speech impairments, the role of clinicians, the recording process, collaborations with tech giants, data privacy challenges, and the diverse populations involved in the project. They emphasize the importance of communication in daily life and express excitement about the future of speech recognition technology.

Useful links from the episode:

• Contribute to the Speech Accessibility Project: https://saa.beckman.illinois.edu/

• Participate in the challenge competition: https://eval.ai/web/challenges/challenge-page/2362/overview

This episode was powered by:

• Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) at the University of Washington

• Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)

Dr. Susanna Engdahl (Google Scholar, LinkedIn) shares her journey from a physics background to becoming a researcher in upper-limb prosthetics. She emphasizes the importance of user perspectives in prosthetic design and the need for a balanced approach to technology and patient care. She also highlights her post-PhD work in advocacy and the development of new prosthetic control systems, such as sonomyography. Susannah emphasizes the importance of considering user performance, device reliability, and the need for participatory design in research.

This episode was powered by:

• Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) at the University of Washington

• Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)