AERIALIST · Doctoral Network on Assistive Health Technology in Unsupervised/Home Settings (AERIALIST)

In healthcare, assistive health technology plays a pivotal role as a catalyst for positive transformation. These innovative solutions are crafted to improve health outcomes and treatment regimens and address the challenges of various diseases. Their overarching mission is to enhance the overall quality of life while ensuring equal access to and participation in daily activities for everyone, encompassing patients with various health conditions, the expanding elderly population, and even individuals navigating an increasingly automated and demanding work environment.Outstanding instances of assistive health technology include home-based rehabilitation robotics that target sensorimotor deficits, electric wheelchairs providing individuals with independent mobility, telehealth applications facilitating cardiovascular monitoring, and powered prostheses that reinstate mobility and instil confidence in everyday activities.Despite recent strides in hardware, sensing, control systems and actuation technologies, notable limitations persist. These systems often encounter challenges when operating beyond their specifically tailored environments, necessitating manual adjustments and limiting safety and reliability in dynamic scenarios. We aim to push assistive health technology towards intelligent, safe, and reliable assistance that mirrors human interaction. This entails harnessing the latest ML advancements for real-world human-engineering system interactions.We are committed to cultivating a new generation of multidisciplinary doctoral candidates to realise this vision. Through close collaboration with industry partners, and assistive health technology developers, these candidates will gain knowledge from diverse disciplines, encompassing sensing, control, and safety considerations. The ultimate outcome will be assistive health technologies that elevate health diagnoses, treatments, and the overall quality of life, ultimately fostering equity in daily activities.