Achievement

Working with former IGERT trainee, Mark Fehlberg, current IGERT trainee, Raymond King has identified a new evaluation paradigm for characterizing the performance benefits of using a Univ. of Utah assistive technology called the Active Handrest. Raymond found that several researchers in recent years have utilized the task of haptically navigating through labyrinths as a diagnostic tool for evaluating the ability of haptic feedback to improve the dexterity of those with hand tremor. Raymond and Mark have used this approach to evaluate people’s performance in navigating labyrinths when drawing in the freehand (unassisted) condition vs. when assisted with the Active Handrest. Their results show a statistically significant reduction in errors (excursions from the walls of the labyrinth) when navigating through the labyrinths. Their findings are currently being drafted as a paper to be submitted to the 2012 Haptics Symposium.