Technology is Transforming Complex Rehabilitation
Smart devices, wearables, robotics, and neurofeedback solutions are reshaping assistive technology. These innovations are rapidly entering complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) from outside the industry, offering new opportunities for independence and improved quality of life.
As these advancements become more sophisticated, affordable, and interconnected, CRT must adapt to remain effective. The technicians and assistive technology professionals (ATPs) who embrace these changes will define the future—one where CRT actively enhances human potential through increasingly advanced human-machine partnership.
Roles Will Change
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technology is already transforming the roles of ATPs and technicians.
ATPs will shift from focusing primarily on physical equipment selection to becoming technology integration specialists. They will need expertise in configuring connected systems and understanding how different technologies work together. Evaluations will be enhanced by AI while maintaining the human element. ATPs will increasingly bridge the gap between users’ existing commercial smart technology and CRT devices.
Technicians will evolve from primarily mechanical repairs to troubleshooting technology, requiring new skills in handling software updates as well as electrical and digital diagnostics. They’ll need to better understand the interplay between hardware and software.
This shift brings significant benefits. Work will become more data-driven, using information provided by connected devices to ease troubleshooting, predict maintenance needs, monitor user success, and optimize equipment performance. Training initiatives like the ATP Academy and ATP Gateway programs are already preparing professionals for these evolving responsibilities, though, as Bill Noelting recently noted, more progress is needed in this area.
With ATP and technician shortages looming as many near retirement, these technological advancements create opportunities to attract and recruit the next generation of professionals.
You Have An Opportunity
ATPs and technicians can proactively prepare for the not-so-far-off future by embracing and seeking out technological interaction in their lives and pursuing educational opportunities.
First, industry professionals should engage with consumer technologies. Most people reading this will be on a computer or smart device. Do you know what the accessibility settings and options on that device are? Why not? Try them out…I’ll wait…
How much have you engaged with AI? There are free options online. Take a stab at it and figure out what it does well and where it struggles. If you are willing to spend a little money, how many smart home devices do you use at your home? If you haven’t tried one, give it a try. Start small, maybe a smart lightbulb or outlet somewhere. These steps matter. Little by little seeing how different technologies work, how they are setup, and having to troubleshoot a smart home with multiple devices is practical education.
If you are already digital pro, then congratulations, you probably have the basics of software and app troubleshooting down. I challenge you to go further.
Expand your expertise to include troubleshooting and digital device repair. I highly recommend iFixit (www.ifixit.com) and their device teardowns and step-by-step guides for repairing common electronic devices. Even better, I bet you can find an old broken device somewhere in your house (or at a garage sale) that has an iFixit guide. A good device tear-down or repair is a great way to spend a rainy day.
The point is, expand your expertise beyond traditional mechanical skills to include software troubleshooting and digital diagnostics. And advocate for inclusion of more advanced topics in official continuous education programs like the courses offered by RESNA and U.S. Rehab.
Collaboration Will Shape CRT’s Future
Rapid external technological innovation is reshaping mobility and independence. AI is changing expectations about how people interact with technology, and major technology companies are investing in accessibility solutions.
Apple has announced eye-gaze and brain-computer interface integrations, Google has enhanced its TalkBack solution, and Microsoft is extending its Seeing AI technology to Android—all pointing to a future where accessibility is built into consumer devices. The future of the CRT industry rests on how much it is willing to collaborate with the outside companies investing in the technology that will fuel the accessible future.
The industry must embrace connected systems compatible with modern standards—devices that not only assist with daily activities of daily living but also prevent accidents, monitor health, predict maintenance needs, and communicate with care teams. Open standards and collaboration should be seen as opportunities rather than threats.
At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, LUCI, Lenovo, Deep Brain AI, and others showcased integration possibilities for a young woman with ALS, including autonomous wheelchair navigation, a more efficient eye-gaze communication system, and an emotive AI avatar—all built on commercial technologies. This level of integration requires common protocols and collaborative approaches. The limitation in CRT isn’t the technology itself—it’s the industry’s willingness to embrace it. You can help lead your organizations to that change.
CRT’s future depends on developing integrated technology solutions so that, as Michelle Lange put it, each person’s technology “lives up to the potential of the person in the wheelchair.”
Are We Ready for the Next Era?
The lives of CRT users are being transformed through smart device integration and emerging technologies. These advancements improve access and enhance independence for individuals with complex conditions.
Smart wheelchairs, wearable sensors, neurofeedback solutions, and intelligent environments offer unprecedented opportunities for mobility, communication, and autonomy.
The challenge now is to be ready for this revolution. The industry must take collaborative approaches, use data-driven decision-making, and expand training opportunities for ATPs and technicians. The future is coming, and it will be defined by those willing to embrace it.
Jered may be reached at jered@luci.com.
Jered Dean is co-founder and chief technology officer of LUCI Mobility, which he established in 2017 with his brother, Barry Dean, to develop smart wheelchair technology. His mission began with a personal connection – creating safer mobility solutions for his niece, Katherine, who has cerebral palsy. Dean serves on ISO and RESNA standards committees.
Prior to LUCI, he worked at Syncroness in product development and served as director of the Capstone Design program at Colorado School of Mines, where he earned his engineering degrees. At LUCI, he leads a team of engineers in Denver, developing innovative technologies. Under his leadership, LUCI has received recognition from Time, Popular Science, Fast Company, and CES. The company’s technology enables independent power mobility for users across more than 40 U.S. states and Canada.