PRESENTED BY
Caitlyn Seim, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Stanford University
 

ABSTRACT
Wearable technologies enable sensing and actuation throughout daily life, in the clinic, or at home.  Haptics (technology for force feedback and touch) is a potent modality for sensory input used primarily in robotics and virtual reality.  These unique forms of technology enable machines to closely interface with the human body, and thus have enormous untapped potential in the fields of healthcare and human augmentation. This talk provides examples of such work and lays the foundation for future research on wearable and haptic technologies to improve quality of life.
 
Learning a motor skill (such as piano) requires significant practice that can dissuade potential practitioners. Haptic input provides an especially powerful modality for training motor tasks because of its direct application to the relevant body parts. In this talk, I define and explore a method of motor skill training using repeated haptic cues applied to the body using a wearable device. This device-enabled method allows training to occur for extended periods of time and even in the background of other tasks -- leading to accuracy with little practice and opening exciting new questions regarding skill acquisition.  This novel training approach may aid learning of typically challenging dexterity skills.  Results from training Braille, piano, rhythmic codes, and typing are explored and used to uncover the capabilities of this method.
 
The second part of this talk explores the utility of mechanical vibration as a treatment to improve upper-limb function after stroke. Stroke is a leading cause of disability both in the United States and globally. Limited arm and hand function after a stroke can be a major challenge to a survivor’s independence and return to a healthy life. Despite encouraging data on the potential impact of vibrotactile stimulation, there has been little evaluation of this technique over extended periods of time or outside a clinical environment. By designing a wireless, wearable device to apply this stimulation, treatment can occur for hours each day during daily life. Currently there are many barriers to a successful recovery after stroke, such as limited access to clinics and adherence to therapy routines. This work aims to evaluate a low-cost and mobile aide to recovery. Results of a trial found significant changes in tactile perception and muscle tone after eight weeks using a stimulation device daily.
 
Other key aspects of this work include the engineering of on-body technology, human perception and preference for haptic waveforms, and the human-centered design process when building interactive and wearable technologies for users with physical disability.
 

BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Seim is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Mechanical Engineering and an Interdisciplinary Scholar with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University.  She received her Ph.D. in Computing from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2019 after earning her bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with Highest Honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in May 2013.  Dr. Seim has been recognized for her work by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Microsoft Research, and Google.  Her work has been highlighted by both academic publications and science news sources such as Scientific American magazine, WIRED, IEEE Spectrum, and the Smithsonian Design Museum.  Her research interests include technology-based treatments for sensorimotor disabilities, haptic training to enhance skill acquisition, haptic feedback to enhance task performance, hospital IOT devices, ergonomics and interactivity, and human-machine integration.