As a result of a brainstem stroke at the age of 40, Henry Evans is mute and quadriplegic, after extensive therapy he is able to move his head and use a finger.
When Henry saw an interview on TV with Georgia Tech Professor Charlie Kemp showing research with the Willow Garage Personal Robot 2 (PR2), he immediately saw the opportunity for people with severe motor impairments to be aided by this technology.
One of Henry's first accomplishments was to manipulate the PR2 to scratch his own nose, the first time he had been able to do so in over 10 years. Since then, Henry has been able to use the PR2 to shave himself and also navigate the robot throughout his home to find and deliver items to him, such as a towel from a drawer or food from the refrigerator.
Source: Willow Garage
Shared with: the healthy home economist
