Robotic Exoskeletons: NJIT, Kessler Researchers Get $5 Million Federal Grant

Newark, NJ - A joint team from Kessler Foundation and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has been awarded a $5 million federal grant to research wearable robotic exoskeleton devices.

According to a release, the grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research will enable scientists from the two institutions to “work together on the next generation of robotic exoskeletons.”

Researchers hope that their efforts will improve mobility and enable safer, more independent functioning for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and stroke.

The team will also evaluate the efficacy of existing robots for restoring and expanding mobility to upper and lower extremities, a release stated.

The grant, “Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wearable Robots,” funds five projects: two research projects led by Kessler Foundation ($2M) and two developmental initiatives and a research study led by NJIT ($3M).

According to a release, the two institutions will consult on each other’s projects, with NJIT contributing engineering expertise and upper extremity robotic research to Kessler Foundation, and Kessler Foundation providing NJIT with its deep knowledge of existing commercial devices and experience working with diverse populations with disabilities.

File photo via Wikimedia Commons