Henry Ford Innovations Join Robotic Research at Carnegie Mellon

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tHenry Ford Innovations, a venture development business unit of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, will partner with the Quality of Life Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh in an effort to improve patient outcomes and transitional care post-discharge, officials announced today. 

t“We are excited to be working with Carnegie Mellon University towards the next generation of digital health solutions,” says Mark Coticchia, vice president and chief innovation officer at Henry Ford Health System. “This relationship with the Quality of Life Technology Center is a cornerstone of Henry Ford’s digital health strategy, and will provide a new set of talent, resources, and ideas to craft solutions for pressing health care problems.”

tExamples of quality of life technology — an engineering discipline focused on human-computer symbiotic systems that can support people in everyday living — include personal robots that serve people at home and computerized coaches for rehabilitation and support in daily functional tasks.

tA portion of funding from the partnership is earmarked for a yearlong, rapid prototyping project course that will employ a team of the nation’s most advanced graduate-level students with expertise in fields including computer science, machine learning, rehabilitation science, and assistive technology.  

tAs a result of the partnership, Henry Ford Innovations — the first major health care provider to formally support the QoLT Consortium — will receive full collaboration benefits and technology transfer privileges. 

tA Centers for Disease Control study found that more than 47 million adults (or 22 percent of adults in the U.S.) reported a disability. The most common cause of disability was arthritis or rheumatism followed by back or spine problems and heart trouble. Of those reporting a disability, the most common reported limitations were difficulty climbing a flight of stairs and walking three city blocks.