Past Studies

All the studies on this page have concluded. If you are interested in participating in one of our studies, please look at our page of active studies.

Communication Cues for Mobile Robots in Pedestrian Spaces

ABOUT

Mobile robots are appearing in public spaces such as shopping malls, airports, and sidewalks. When walking in public spaces, there is often a mutual understanding between pedestrians about how the other will move. When interacting  with mobile robots, however, people are often less certain of how the robot will move, and therefore may feel less comfortable. This research project investigated visual methods for a mobile robot to communicate its movement and intention to pedestrians. We conducted two user studies online to evaluate two different sets of robot communication cues. Please see the Publications section for details and results.

Using Immersive Virtual Reality in Bimanual Upper Limb Reaching for Teens and Young Adults

About

As a continuation of FEATHERS’ search for engaging gaming tools for upper limb exercise, the research team would like to test the use of the Oculus Rift head-mounted display and Oculus Touch motion controllers as viable interfaces. The study will explore how error augmentation (i.e. adding visual or game element feedback to accentuate deviation from the desired exercise motion) in immersive VR might encourage persons with hemiplegia to engage their affected side more effectively by comparing the symmetry between the stronger and weaker limbs. The data collected from healthy participants will be used to study motor adaptation effects to this kind of feedback during reaching motions will be used as a control group to compare the target hemiplegic population (children with CP, ABI, Pediatric Stroke).

Eligibility

To take part in this study as a healthy teen or young adult, you need to:

  • Be between the ages of 13 to 21 years old
  • Be able to speak and understand English
  • Use both eyes and visually interact using a stereoscopic device that allows a minimum interpupillary distance of 58mm
  • Comfortably support a 470g head-mounted display
  • Have no pre-existing experiences of cybersickness symptoms

What is Involved

A 60-90-minute session using the Oculus Rift system at the CARIS Lab on UBC Vancouver campus (located in ICICS building, room X015):

  • Complete a bimanual repetitive reaching task in an immersive VR environment by interacting with virtual objects using the controller buttons and motion tracking
  • Complete a short demographics and system usability survey

Interested?

If you would like to take part in this study, please contact us!

604.822.3147 (Ask for Leia)
lcshum@mail.ubc.ca

Next Steps

We are also looking for teens and young adults affected with hemiplegia due to non-degenerative neuro-motor disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Acquired Brain Injury, and Pediatric Stroke in the chronic phase. Please contact Leia using the above information to speak individually with someone if you are interested in volunteering as a clinical participant.

SleepSmart: Classification of Movement Patterns Using a Mattress-based Sensor Array

CARIS and the Sleep/Wake-Behavior Research labs are evaluating non-invasive technologies (video and SleepSmart mattress sensors) in detecting sleep/wake-behaviors and movement patterns. Our aim in this study is to determine the effectiveness of the system in characterizing movement patterns. With your help, data collected from this study could be used to contribute to the development of better devices that will assist in pediatric sleep diagnostics.

Study Details:

  • Looking for: Healthy adolescents and young adults (14+).
  • What is involved: Complete a series of common resting movements with the SleepSmart & videography system. The study will be video recorded for analysis purposes.
  • Study location: ICICS X015, 2366 Main Mall, UBC Point Grey Campus
  • Study duration: 1-1.5 hours

For more information or to volunteer as a participant, please contact:

Yi Jui Lee
yijuilee@mail.ubc.ca

Stroke Rehabilitation Research Study (People that had a stroke) Phase 2

The Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CARIS) Laboratory and the Robotics for Rehabilitation Exercise and Assessment in Collaborative Health Care (RREACH) Laboratory are conducting this study, which aims to improve the way home-based physical therapy is delivered.

We are conducting a study on human reaching movements while holding two robotic devices in your hands.

We are seeking volunteers who are recovering from a stroke and who meet the following criteria:

  • Weakness on one side of the body as a result of a stroke.
  • Able to sit on a chair without arm rests, for 1 hour.
  • Ability to understand/follow directions and answer questions in English.

Participants will be asked to come to the UBC Point Grey Campus and perform a series of reaching exercises while holding two robotic devices in their hands (if you are not able to grasp them, we will provide you with an adjustable strap that will hold the robotic devices in place).

The study will take approximately 2.0-2.5 hours. Volunteers will be required to complete a consent form before participating. All transportation expenses will be covered, and participants will be compensated financially for their time.

For more information, or to volunteer for this study, please contact:

Bulmaro Valdés

bulmaro.valdes@alumni.ubc.ca | 778-628-7056

Principal Investigator: Dr. Mike Van der Loos | Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC

FEATHERS Phase 3: A Study on Motion-Control Games as Therapy

For Adults with Stroke & Youth (ages 13-18) with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy or Brain Injury

About

Sony PlayStation controllers have been adapted by the research team to encourage computer game play using both hands together. These systems have been paired with Facebook games to offer a potentially motivating way for people with hemiplegia to do therapy in the comfort of their own home.

This phase of the study aims to test the effectiveness of a home-based therapy program using the system for bimanual therapy (using both hands together).

Eligibility

To take part in the study, you need to:

  • Be 13 years or older
  • Have one side of the body that is weaker than the other (hemiplegia or hemiparesis)
  • Be able to lift your arms against gravity at least some distance
  • Be able to move around on your own (with or without walking aides, or a manual or power wheelchair)
  • Be able to follow instructions in English
  • Not have had orthopedic surgery in the past 6 months
  • Not be receiving other therapies that target arm function, including any form of physical therapy or Botox injections

What is Involved

  • A 2-hour session in one of our collaborating community clinics (see below) for baseline assessments of function (assessing how much your motions are affected by your neurological injury), going over the treatment program and showing you how to use the gaming system
  • A short home visit the next week to set up the equipment and review the treatment program
  • 30 minutes, 5 times a week game-based therapy using the system for 2 months
  • A 90-minute clinic visit at 2 months to have your progress assessed
  • A 60-minute clinic visit at 4 months for follow-up assessments of function

Interested?

If you would like to take part, or want to learn more about the study, please contact us!

Stephanie Glegg
Study Occupational Therapist & Research Assistant
(604) 453-8300 ext. 8268
sglegg@cw.bc.ca

For more information about the FEATHERS project, please visit the FEATHERS page.

The Investigators

Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and community partners are working together on this project.

UBC Researchers:

  • RREACH and CARIS Labs in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • Department of Physical Therapy
  • Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy
  • School of Human Kinetics

Community Partners:

  • Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children (Vancouver)
  • Abilities Neurological Rehabilitation, Inc. (Coquitlam, Surrey, Abbotsford, Chilliwack)

Study Investigators:

  • Dr. Mike Van Der Loos
  • Dr. Nicola Hodges
  • Dr. Nasnin Virji-Babul
  • Dr. Lara Boyd
  • Dr. Elizabeth Croft
  • Alison Hoens, MSc

Sunny Hill Research Investigator:

  • Alec Black, MSc

Abilities Neurological Rehabilitation Investigator:

  • Heather Branscombe, PT, MBA

Come Try Out Our New Wearable Human-Computer Interaction System! (Looking for: healthy participants)

The RREACH and CARIS lab are seeking for healthy volunteers who are 19 years old or older to participate in a study on correcting users’ bimanual reaching forward motion using vibrotactile (vibration) cues. You will be asked to answer some screening questions over the phone beforehand to see if you are eligible for this study.

Some study information:

  • Study Location: ICICS 049, 2366 Main Mall, UBC Point Grey Campus
  • Study Duration: 1-1.5 hours
  • Study Compensation: Transportation expense + a small thank-you gift

In this study, you will be asked to perform sets of bimanual reaching motion and interact with a computer using a motion tracking system and a wearable device. All the electronics on the wearable device are isolated from your skin with a stretchable material made from polyamide and polyester.

VIBE-Guide Sleeve & Motion Tracking System

For more information or to volunteer as a participant, please contact:

Tina Hung
tina.ct.hung (at) alumni.ubc.ca
(604) 657-0201

Come Try Out Our New Wearable Computer Rehabilitation System! (Looking for: people who had a stroke)

The RREACH and CARIS lab are conducting a study on correcting users’ bimanual reaching forward behavior using vibrotactile (vibration) cues. We are looking for participants who are recovering from a stroke and weakness on one side of the body as a result of stroke. You will be asked to answer some screening questions over the phone beforehand to see if you are eligible for this study.

Some study information:

  • Study Location: ICICS 049, 2366 Main Mall, UBC Point Grey Campus
  • Study Duration: 1.5-2 hours
  • Study Compensation: Transportation expense + a small thank-you gift

In this study, you will be asked to perform sets of bimanual reaching motion and interact with a computer using a motion tracking system and a wearable device. All the electronics on the wearable device are isolated from your skin with a stretchable material made from polyamide and polyester.

VIBE-Guide Sleeve & Motion Tracking System

For more information or to volunteer as a participant, please contact:

Tina Hung
tina.ct.hung (at) alumni.ubc.ca
(604) 657-0201

Human-Human Handover Interaction Study

The Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CARIS) Laboratory is conducting a study in human-robot interaction. We are seeking healthy adult volunteers to help us better understand how humans hand objects to each other. Our aim in this study is to characterize this behaviour and identify cues that humans use to coordinate object transfer. The knowledge gained from this study will be used to develop robots capable of handing objects to humans and vice versa safely and intuitively.

The study will be conducted in the Human Measurement Laboratory (room X527) in the ICICS building, and will require approximately 1 hour of your time. Participants will be paired up and asked to hand a several household objects and forth while wearing motion capture markers. You will be asked to repeat the handover task with different objects each time. Non-identifying motion capture data will be collected. The experiment will also be videotaped if both participants consent. All collected data will remain anonymous. You may sign up for this study with another person as a pair or by yourself.

The study will take place throughout the month of November. For more information regarding this study or to volunteer as a participant, please contact:

Matthew Pan
ICICS X015, 2366 Main Mall
mpan9(at)interchange.ubc.ca
(604)822-3147

Wesley Chan
wesleypchan(at)hotmail.com
(604)822-3147

Your Face on a Robot. What?!!! (Telepresence Research Study)

DSC00180

The Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CARIS) Lab is looking for healthy adult volunteers to participate in a fun human-robot interaction study that takes between 60 to 90 minutes, and you will be compensated $10 and also have a chance to earn extra $5.

This study will be conducted at the ICICS building, UBC. As part of the study, you will be asked to perform a simple task with another person using our novel teleconferencing (video calling) system implemented on a robot. The experiment will be video recorded for analysis purposes. With your help, we will be able to develop the next generation of teleconferencing system that makes you feel like you are really there, without you actually being there.

For more information or to volunteer for this study, please contact:

Sina Radmard
ICICS X015, 2366 Main Mall

sradmard@interchange.ubc.ca | (604)822-3147

 Principal Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Croft | Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC

Stroke Rehabilitation Research Study (People that had a stroke)

The Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CARIS) Laboratory and the Robotics for Rehabilitation Exercise and Assessment in Collaborative Health Care (RREACH) Laboratory are conducting this study, which aims to improve the way home-based physical therapy is delivered.

We are conducting a study on human reaching movements while holding two small robotic devices in your hands.

We are seeking volunteers who are recovering from a stroke and who meet the following criteria:

  • Weakness on one side of the body as a result of a stroke.
  • Able to sit on a chair without arm rests, for 1 hour.
  • Ability to understand/follow directions and answer questions in English.

Participants will be asked to come to the UBC Point Grey Campus and perform a series of reaching exercises while holding two small robotic devices in their hands (if you are not able to grasp them, we will provide you with an adjustable strap that will hold the small robotic devices in place).

Recruitment Poster Picture

The study will take approximately 1.5-2 hours. Volunteers will be required to complete a consent form before participating. Participants will receive compensation for transportation expense, as well as a small gift as a token of our appreciation.

For more information, or to volunteer for this study, please contact:

Bulmaro Valdés

bulmaro.valdes@alumni.ubc.ca | 778-628-7056

 Principal Investigator: Dr. Mike Van der Loos | Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC

Human-Robot Communication Study


The Collaborative Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CARIS) Laboratory is conducting a study on the usage of gesture cues for human-robot communication. The study aims to determine if the usage of hand gestures can effectively increase human recognition rate of gestures performed by a robotic arm. Participants will be asked to complete an online survey consisting of a series of short videos on assorted gestures being performed by a robot arm, and then asked to give their interpretation of the gesture. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes. There is no compensation.

gesturepic

Participants need to be 19 years or older (or a UBC student of 17 or older) and able to communicate in English. A link to the study can be found here: Poseable Hand Survey. For more information regarding this study or to volunteer as a participant, please contact:

Alex Reddy
ICICS X015, 2366 Main Mall
alexjreddy123@gmail.com

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Faculty of Applied Science
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Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Tel: 604.822.6413
Email:
CARIS Lab
Department of Mechanical Engineering, UBC,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Tel: 604.822.3147
Fax: 604.822.2403
See contact page for addresses.

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