16 Nominees From Around The World Selected As 2011 Da Vinci Awards® Finalists

Online, September 16, 2011 (Newswire.com) - A smartphone "Universal Access Hub" allowing people with physical impairments to use today's latest mobile technology, a fully automated push-button or "sip and puff" machine that gives severely disabled people the ability to go fishing with family and friends, and an ankle joint prosthetic that enables lower limb amputees to participate in aquatic and equestrian activities are a few of the 16 innovations selected as 2011 da Vinci Awards® finalists.

Benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society's Michigan Chapter, the da Vinci Awards is a prestigious international forum recognizing the latest developments and research in adaptive and assistive technologies that enable equal access and opportunity for all people, regardless of ability. The awards program celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Finalists representing the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Sweden were chosen from entries received from around the world. U.S. finalists are from 10 states with three from Michigan.

Video submissions for each finalist are featured at www.youtube.com/davinciawards with a "People's Choice Award" presented to the finalist receiving the highest number of YouTube "thumbs up" votes.

Finalists and their innovative technologies will be honored Sept. 22, 2011, at a special awards event at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., with the 2011 da Vinci Award winners announced live that evening. Tickets to the gala are available at www.davinciawards.org.

The finalists in each of five categories are:
• Communication/Educational Aids

-ASK Messaging (Ann Arbor, Mich.) - an iPad application to help users without fine motor skills control send emails and text messages on a touch screen. The application improves the lives by increasing the ability of the user to access common communications tools.

-Cambium Learning Technologies for Kurzwell 3000® (Natick, Mass.) - a comprehensive reading, writing and learning software any struggling reader in grades 3 through college. Using a variety of natural sounding voices, Kurzweil 3000 reads text aloud to students from digital and print formats.

-SSR - Supplemental Speech Recognition (Alma, Ark.) - speech recognition software designed specifically for people with difficult to understand speech and sufficient physical disability that typing is difficult. SSR reduces the amount of typing required to enter text by approx. 40 percent over word prediction software alone.

-Tobii PCEye (Sweden) - an advanced stand-alone eye control device for the standard computer. Enables users to surf the web, check email and get help communicating with eye controlled calendars, customized mail, keyboards or internet browsers and even access music libraries and photo files.

• Environmental Adaptation/Daily Living or Work Aids

-Freedom Chair-A-Table (Wendell, N.C.) - a full power exam table with a docking wheelchair that completely eliminates the physical lifting of disabled patients on to and off of an exam table. Protects both patients and caregivers from the risk of injury from lifting the patient.

-Claro FaceMouse (United Kingdom) - a software solution designed to assist people who have difficulty using traditional computer input methods. Using face and head movement, users can move the mouse pointer using only a standard webcam.

-Super EZ Work Tool (Cannon Falls, Minn.) - the booster tool adds leverage to long handled tools such as shovels, tree pruners, mops, fishing rods and more reducing wrist, arm, shoulder and back pain while working. The Leverage Booster tool allows a person to work longer with more productivity all with less effort and pain.

• Prosthetics/Orthotics/Controls

-Adaptive Sports Transition Ankle (The Woodlands, Texas) - an ankle joint prosthetic component enabling the lower limb amputee to gain a greater sense of confidence, quality of life and freedom of movement when engaging in activities such as swimming, scuba diving and horseback riding.

-MIT Smartphone Universal Access Hub (Cambridge, Mass.) - hardware and software that makes it possible for people with physical impairments to plug in any adaptive switch, from a pushbutton to a sip-and-puff device, to access smartphones, tablets and other mobile computing devices.

-The Austin Exoskeleton Project (Berkeley, Mass.) - a series of technologies that lead to low cost and accessible exoskeleton systems for individuals with mobility disorders, keeping millions of patients away from wheelchairs. The use of exoskeleton systems decreases the cost of healthcare and the number of secondary diseases associated with the use of wheelchairs.

• Transportation and Mobility

-GoShichi (Fort Wayne, Ind.) - the modification of GMC and Chevrolet extended and crew cab trucks to make them wheelchair accessible. Modifying durable trucks open up opportunities such as farming, boating, camping, and hunting to those in wheelchairs who may not have the ability to do these activities in other modified vehicles like minivans.

-SideStix (British Columbia, Canada) - high performance forearm crutches with unique damping shock absorbers to take the jolt out of every stride, cuff pads that prevent chaffing, grips for comfortable support and ergonomic angles that put wrist and arms in neutral positions.

-Hybrid Standing Wheelchair (Saginaw, Mich.) - a simple and easy power wheelchair incorporating the best of power wheelchairs, the ability to go long distances and drive uneven terrains, with the ability for the user to stand, allowing an opportunity to develop upper body strength, improve circulation and reach high shelves and cabinets.

• Recreation and Leisure

-ICARE, Intelligent Controlled Assistive Rehabilitation Elliptical (Lincoln, Neb.) - a therapeutic elliptical trainer for people of all ability, even those with limited mobility. ICARE helps individuals regain or maintain their mobility and fitness by providing customized propulsion to the elliptical pedals making it easy to begin and maintain exercise on the device.

-Ken's Power Caster (Smock, Pa.) - a fully automated, push-button or "sip and puff" controlled fishing machine that gives severely disabled people the ability to cast out their line, hook, fight, retrieve, and land fish with total independence - regardless of their disability or injury level.

-NuStep with Leg Stabilizer (Ann Arbor, Mich.) - used in conjunction with the NuStep cross trainer, the Leg Stabilizer makes it possible for those with disabilities affecting the use of their lower limbs enjoy the health benefits of a total body workout including potentially lessening the symptoms associated with their disabilities.

Special honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, Spirit of da Vinci Award and Student of da Vinci Award, will also be presented to standouts in the field of assistive technology and the disability community.

Tickets and additional information about the Sept. 22 da Vinci Awards gala are available at
www.davinciawards.org/about/overview.

About MS and the da Vinci Awards

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease usually diagnosed in young adults and the National MS Society understands the difficulties people experience when faced with physical disabilities.

The Michigan Chapter of the National MS Society (www.nationalmssociety.org/mig) created the da Vinci Awards® in 2001 to foster innovation and hope by recognizing the latest developments and research in adaptive and assistive technologies, which play an important role in helping people overcome physical limitations.

The da Vinci Awards were named after Leonardo da Vinci because of his documented talents as an inventor, philosopher, engineer, architect and artist. The name itself captures the spirit in which the awards are given.

Proceeds from the awards benefit the National MS Society's Michigan Chapter. Michigan has one of the highest incident rates of MS in the U.S., with more than 18,000 residents living with multiple sclerosis.

An impartial panel of judges representing the technology and disability communities selected the finalists and da Vinci Award winners in each of five categories.

A complete list of past award winners can be found at www.davinciawards.org.