We are excited to announce the transformation of the former REC into the Closed-Loop Engineering for Advanced Rehabilitation (CLEAR) core. Administratively housed in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State University and UNC – Chapel Hill, the core’s vision is CLEAR:
We envision a center of excellence that investigates human-machine interactions, develops advanced wearable, rehabilitation technologies, and enables seamless integration and co-adaptation of rehabilitation machines and humans to assist and augment physical abilities, performance, and experiences in individuals with disabilities.
We will fulfill this vision with
- well-coordinated, interdisciplinary research
- training the next generation of rehabilitation engineers
- effective knowledge translation and technology transfer
To fulfill its mission, CLEAR will focus on three overlapping foci: 1) Mechanics, 2) Control and Learning, and 3) Perception and Cognition. The interaction of these foci will allow for unprecedented advances in human-machine symbiosis to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.
We have the unique opportunity to make significant advances in the field of engineering for advancing rehabilitation. Of note, our applications close the loop between human and machine with novel sensing agents, control algorithms, and actuation. Applications are made to both the human and machine as we recognize the need to create a seamless integration such that the machine responds appropriately to the human, while the human moves with the machine in a state of true embodiment.
The leadership of CLEAR recognize that the required growth of these relevant research priorities is critical to meet the stated vision. Effective growth will be accomplished by integrating outstanding research programs across CLEAR investigators, training the next generation of innovative thinkers, and transitioning novel advances to the communities that need them.
You can find out more about our new CLEAR core here.