assistive device manufacturers

Abstract: Electrolaryngeal (EL) speech suffers from severe acoustic mismatches with normal speech, resulting in degraded naturalness and intelligibility. These mismatches also make sequence-to-sequence voice conversion struggle to learn robust intermediate representations, hindering EL-speech-to-normal-speech conversion (EL2SP) performance. To address this, we propose a novel multimodal contrastive representation learning framework to 1) achieve richer multimodal-representation learning, and 2) facilitate the transferability of multimodal representations to speech-only EL2SP. First, EL speech and text representations are fused to learn multimodal representations for target speech generation, during which cross-modal contrastive learning is employed to encourage a semantically consistent speech--text representation space. Next, the fused representations are treated as a fixed target to guide speech-only representation learning through cross-stage contrastive learning, enabling multimodal knowledge to be transferred to the EL2SP task while preserving architectural and inference simplicity. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms both the speech-only and multimodal-based baselines.

Abstract: Concerns about falling and potential resulting injuries prevent many older adults from participating in forms of health-improving exercise such as walking, dance, and tai chi. Existing passive devices like walkers require use of the arms for support, and active devices like exoskeletons and robotic frames are often rigid, bulky, and stigmatized, which limits their use. The FallGown is a soft wearable support structure consisting of pressurized pneumatic pouches within a fabric shell; it can support the full weight of a user's body and aims to prevent falls. It is portable (6.9 kg and 0.051 m3 when stored), minimally burdensome (7.24-20.8 N drag force depending on floor type and whether an optional rolling base frame is used), and convenient (less than 2.5 minutes on average to don and less than 0.5 minutes on average to doff). The optional rolling base lowers friction with the floor, but reduces portability and skirt deformation (which can be useful to fit through doors and other tight spaces). Fall prevention testing with a single user revealed a tradeoff between device size and stability against tipping; a skirt with 12 pneumatic pouches and a floor diameter of 1.4 meters with a base frame prevented all falls except in one case with a mechanical failure. On-board pressure sensors can sense the user's weight distribution, providing an opportunity for monitored exercise and adaptive support.

Abstract: With the global population rapidly aging, maintaining independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), particularly bathing or showering, has become a critical challenge. Older adults who sit while showering currently have limited options, often relying on rigid overhead showerheads or flexible hand-held hoses that require continuous gripping and precarious user maneuvers, increasing the risk of falls. To address this need, this paper introduces a highly articulated, pseudo-static balanced continuum mechanism designed specifically for accessible bathing assistance. The proposed mechanism features a modular continuum architecture composed of friction-locked ball-and-socket joints (loc-line), seamlessly integrated with a retractable spring-loaded reel for effective gravity compensation. This hybrid design achieves an intuitive "Push-and-Stay" interaction logic, maintaining an approximate static equilibrium with ergonomically low actuation force, without any external electronic power, while significantly minimizing the force needed for repositioning. Theoretically, we established a recursive forward kinematics framework to construct the geometric model of the structure, coupled with a comprehensive static equilibrium analysis to evaluate the system's holding capacity across its 51-DOF structure. Numerical simulations utilizing Monte Carlo methods validate the system's morphological adaptability and stability at various extreme positions within a standard bath space. Physical experiments further validate the prototype's real-world performance, confirming its intrinsic static stability against gravity and ensuring that the actuation force remains well within the ergonomic capabilities of older adults. Ultimately, this research provides a low-cost, intrinsically safe showerhead design that reduces physical strain, restoring dignity and autonomy in personal hygiene.