Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3875, USA.
J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2012 Apr 20;9:22. doi: 10.1186/1743-0003-9-22.
Mobility technologies, including wheelchairs, prostheses, joint replacements, assistive devices, and therapeutic exercise equipment help millions of people participate in desired life activities. Yet, these technologies are not yet fully transformative because many desired activities cannot be pursued or are difficult to pursue for the millions of individuals with mobility related impairments. This WTEC study, initiated and funded by the National Science Foundation, was designed to gather information on European innovations and trends in technology that might lead to greater mobility for a wider range of people. What might these transformative technologies be and how might they arise? Based on visits to leading mobility technology research labs in western Europe, the WTEC panel identified eight major trends in mobility technology research. This commentary summarizes these trends, which are then described in detail in companion papers appearing in this special issue.
移动技术，包括轮椅、假肢、关节置换、辅助设备和治疗运动设备，帮助数以百万计的人参与他们期望的生活活动。然而，这些技术还没有完全具有变革性，因为对于数以百万计的行动障碍人士来说，许多期望的活动是无法进行的，或者很难进行。这项由美国国家科学基金会发起和资助的 WTEC 研究旨在收集有关欧洲创新和技术趋势的信息，这些创新和技术趋势可能会为更广泛的人群带来更大的移动性。这些变革性技术可能是什么，它们可能是如何出现的？基于对西欧领先的移动技术研究实验室的访问，WTEC 小组确定了移动技术研究的八项主要趋势。本评论总结了这些趋势，这些趋势在本特刊中的相关论文中有详细描述。
