LOW AND HIGH TECHNOLOGY APPROACHES
Using different methodologies and device development, the PEARL lab explores and advances innovations for families, infant, and children with a focus on assessment and rehabilitation technology to improve health.
Some of these projects involve student contributions as part of courses in rehabilitation engineering which pairs students in engineering with students from health care professional programs. As the PI, Dr. Heathcock is involved in the conception and development of the project or device and teaching in the course as faculty with clinical expertise.
INFANT OPERATED ROBOT
Combining powered mobility with reaching in prone, Dr. Heathcock encourages a baby to “drive” the device. This was the baby’s first time in the device and the baby learned to control it easily. Look at the strategy she used to drive at the end of the clip – reaching and pulling on the joystick with oscillations and weight bearing through the contralateral upper extremity.
KIDOLOGY
Theses devices uses touch screen technology to promote early learning in infants and hand function in children with hemiparesis.
MOBILE PARADIGM
A paradigm that has been used in developmental psychology since the time of Piaget. The mobile paradigm tests cause-and-effect relationships. With a soft ribbon and custom-made mobile, this low-tech approach is currently used to testing learning and memory in infants with typical development and infants with complex congenital heart disease
INSTRUMENTED TOYS!
These prototype devices use pressure sensors on hand grip and balloon pressure sensors inside the legs of the toy octopus to measure hand grip as a function of overall health in newborns and motor control and coordination in toddlers.
VICON
VIDEO AND HRV
Drs. Heathcock and Lockman (Tulane) co-edited a special issue for the Physical Therapy Journal titled, Infant and Child Development: Innovations and Foundations for Rehabilitation