WVII, WABI report on biomedical engineering capstone projects

WVII (Channel 7) and WABI (Channel 5) reported on senior capstone projects created by biomedical engineering students at the University of Maine. The students showed off their projects ahead of the 2018 UMaine Student Symposium. One group worked with mechanical engineering technology students to develop a soft, wearable robotic system to assist older adults or others who have impaired arm movement. “There aren’t currently a lot of options of how to rehabilitate a person’s arms, so we hope that our cheap, easy-to-use device will help out the aging population,” biomedical engineering student Rachel Detwiler told WABI. Gregory Viola, a mechanical engineering technology student, said he hopes the tool will help older residents lead more independent lives. Another group created a high-fidelity simulation vest that can be worn by actors in a medical training scenario. Using state-of-the art approaches, such as flat, embroidered speakers, the vest can create realistic abnormal heart and lung sounds that can mimic conditions including pneumonia and heart valve abnormalities. “This gives a real interaction with the patient which makes it better for them because they’ll be able to actually have that hands-on experience and actually have bedside manner and be able to better treat the patient and not just a manikin,” student Jennie Daley said.