Diego allows people to practice upper body movement through interactive games and takes a more detailed survey. Diego is not a man, he’s a robot, the latest acquisition by the Resource Center for Dependence (Cre) of San Andres del Rabanado to test its users. CRE is a laboratory where technology companies test devices for people with severe physical disabilities.
It hasn’t been tested by any users yet, and staff received the necessary training last week to know how to handle it. It has virtual reality glasses that make the experience more active and less boring.
With a demonstration, Sandra Alvarez, one of the center’s physiotherapists, teaches the operation of a device that records the movement of the arms through a type of Velcro attached to the forearm and biceps with cables attached from above.
Other technology works with voice and vision to replace the keyboard and mouse. By turning on their vision or giving a few simple commands, the user can access the Internet with free applications and devices that cost no more than 300 euros, says Jorge Alegre, Cre’s head of audiovisual technology.
The center is dedicated to instructing users in efficient use of its facilities and providing specialized advice to adapt their homes to their individual needs.
Once this process is complete, constant monitoring is established, with the expectation that users will not remain at the center permanently.
Instead, they are expected to return to their daily lives with a new sense of autonomy, applying their newly acquired knowledge to their unique potential. Technological devices are very expensive, so almost no private center has these robotic developments. Thanks to the help of European funds, CRE makes life easier for its occasional residents.
“Wheelchairs have made some significant advances, especially in recent years,” explains Beatrice Lamela, from Occupational Therapy.
Voice sensors
Anwar is one of the users at the center. He uses a computer with voice sensors and has a chair that moves with his chin. He belongs to the Association of Mouth Painters and has an undeniable talent and a lot of training for this job.
Reuben drives a wheelchair thanks to sensors placed near his head. The difficulty of moving with these techniques is high, but he does this with amazing skill. Another one of the gadgets is Vego Head Control, which allows you to control the wheelchair in all four directions with a gyroscopic and proportional headset. They connect via Bluetooth and gain access to a computer or mobile. These sensors translate head movements and convert them into smooth driving.
Urbano has been testing these headphones for a fortnight. He has connected them to home controls and can raise or lower the blinds, turn on the TV and lights. “With training it makes my life easier and it’s comfortable,” he affirms.
An essential component of this framework is the Disability and Dependency Centre, which seeks to promote individual autonomy, facilitate knowledge transfer, train professionals and provide highly specialized services. In addition, the center encourages the adoption of innovative approaches and practices, while providing supplementary fabric and support to those suffering from large-scale physical, mental and emotional disabilities.
Dependency is “the permanent condition of persons, for reasons acquired by age, disease or infirmity, and associated with the lack or loss of physical, mental, intellectual or emotional autonomy, of another person or persons or requiring significant assistance in carrying out the basic activities of daily living or of persons with intellectual disabilities or mental illness. Other support for their personal autonomy in the matter”.
CRE offers advice and technology funded by European resources. It has 120 rooms, half for those in the day center. Maria Teresa Gutierrez, director of the Rehabilitation Center, highlighted the facilities’ central focus: enabling individuals to return to their homes with the ability to lead an autonomous life. The center’s primary objective is to provide patients with the tools they need to advocate for themselves.
Juan Luis del Pozo, responsible for guided tours, management of the archive and management of the library, shared that the resources and treatments at the center are customized to each user’s needs. Each patient receives appropriate treatment, ensuring that treatment approaches are precisely tailored to their individual situation and needs.
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