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October 13, 2011

RoboBowl Features Five Finalists With Innovative Health Care Ideas

Five companies will be competing in today's RoboBowl Pittsburgh, the first in a series of national next-generation robotics venture competitions sponsored by Carnegie Mellon, the Robotics Technology Consortium and Innovation Accelerator. RoboBowl Pittsburgh is intended to find and foster startup and early-stage companies seeking to develop products and services that address unmet and underserved market needs in the health care and quality of life industries. The five companies are presenting before a blue-ribbon panel of judges from 2 - 5 p.m., today, Oct. 13, at Carnegie Mellon's Posner Center for a chance to win $20,000.

The finalists are:

  • Bright Cloud International Corp.'s entry is a device called "BrightArm," which integrates physical, cognitive and emotive therapy using personalized video games and robotics to improve stroke and traumatic brain injury patients.
  • Interbots, an Entertainment Technology Center spinoff, will present affordable robotic tools for children with autism. Interbots has created a consumer robot and accompanying iPad/PC software that allows therapists and parents to guide children (ages 3-15) through activities that practice social referencing skills.
  • Origami Robotics manufactures low-priced versatile robots for special needs therapy and STEM (science, technology and mathematics) education and research.
  • RescueBotics is focused on integrating robotics technologies with next generation medical diagnostics and treatment technologies to produce advanced human rescue robots.
  • TactSense Technologies offers a novel tactile feedback system capable of sensing the forces at the surgical instrument-tissue interface and then relaying those forces directly to the surgeon's fingertips.