The Road Ahead: Power Assist Devices

The Road Ahead: Power Assist Devices

CLICK HERE to register for the online session.

Living with SCI means staying active, but it can get harder with time. Power assist devices can help reduce strain, extend your range and make everyday mobility easier for manual wheelchair users. Dr. Jaimie Borisoff will discuss the different types of power assist devices and what to consider when choosing one. Whether you’re navigating hills, long distances or just want to save your shoulders, this session will boost your knowledge!

About Dr. Jaimie Borisoff:Jaimie Borisoff, PhD, is the Director of BCIT’s MAKE+ research group, an ISO-certified applied research and product development lab. He also has appointments at UBC Occupational Therapy and the ICORD SCI research centre. His grant-funded projects are focused on assistive technology development and rehabilitation engineering research. One research theme is developing adaptable wheelchairs that promote autonomy and allow users to quickly change their seating and wheeling configurations “on-the-fly” to better suit different daily activities. Examples include the Elevation™ ultralight wheelchair, and the Swivl™ “stow & roll front wheel” which can instantly change a highly maneuverable daily-use wheelchair into a capable off-road mobility device. This research was recently taken to the extreme with the winning entrant in the (international) 2024 Cybathlon Wheelchair Race – where the BCIT designed-wheelchair was the only device to complete all ten tasks including climbing a curved staircase.

Questions? Contact Duncan at dcampbell@sci-bc.ca.