# Center for Wheelchairs and Assistive Robotics Engineering

> **NIH VA I50** · VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION · 2020 · —

## Abstract

There is an influx in the number of Veterans with disabilities (VwD) using mobility and manipulation devices
due to aging, improved medical care which has increased survival rates from severe injuries, and polytrauma
resulting in multiple disabilities. Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn account for over
250,000 unique VwD who received devices from VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aid Service (PSAS). Veterans are
at the heart of everything that WARE does and strives to achieve. WARE has always been Veteran-led and
Veteran-focused with a significant number of Veterans engaged with WARE at multiple levels. Participatory
action design is and always has been the very heart of WARE’s research and development. The focus of WARE
will be on research and development within four themes: (Theme 1) Smart Device Applications, (Theme 2)
Advanced Wheelchair Design, (Theme 3) Assistive Robotics and Intelligent Systems, and (Theme 4) Human
Machine Interfaces. WARE will link capacity building and Voice of the Consumer (VoC) and Voice of the Process
(VoP) recommendations by creating core activities in promoting an innovation environment for VwD and VA
clinicians. It is apparent that some VwD and assistive technology providers do not know that important
technologies exist and asked to be kept informed about available and emerging technologies. WARE will measure
consumer, provider, and family/caregiver awareness of available products, research outputs, and clinical
practice guidelines and assess whether they are being used. Training the next generation of rehabilitation
scientists and engineers is one of the most important contributions a Center can make to the long-term well-
being of VwD. WARE is committed to mentoring new investigators (especially Veterans) to help them to
successful careers focused on VwD. WARE is committed to remain a leader in assistive technology standards
development and implementation. WARE’s proposed research, development, and core activities will result in
improved function and mobility outcomes of VwD. WARE is aligned with the VA’s Blueprint for Excellence. It
promotes Veteran-driven care, addresses vulnerable populations, elevates the VA as the provider of choice, aims
to achieve care delivery that compares to or exceeds the private sector, and aligns the VA with academic partners.
WARE will leverage the expertise developed by VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), industry partners,
Veterans Service Organizations, and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). WARE has been and will continue to be
focused on making tangible and measurable improvements for VwD who use wheelchairs and robotics
technologies. An overarching goal is to translate findings throughout VA and into use by Veterans.
Keywords (Scientific Disciplines): Rehabilitation Engineering, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and
Physical Therapy.
Keywords (Research Foci): Smart Device Applications, Advanced Wheelchair Design, Assistive Robotics
and Intelligent Syst...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9910071
- **Project number:** 5I50RX002998-02
- **Recipient organization:** VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
- **Principal Investigator:** RORY A. COOPER
- **Activity code:** I50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9910071

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9910071, Center for Wheelchairs and Assistive Robotics Engineering (5I50RX002998-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9910071. Licensed CC0.

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