According to the World Health Organization (2018), there are 1 billion people with disabilities across the world in 2021 and projects to 2 billion by 2050; more than 1 billion people need one or more assistive technology (AT) products, however, only 1 in 10 people in need have access to AT products.
Due to the advancement in technology, there is an urge for more collaborative inputs from various disciplines of rehabilitation/ healthcare professionals, engineering, designers, etc. to conduct multidisciplinary translational research supporting people with disabilities in assistive devices, services and rehabilitation research and development. AT ranges from cutting-edge technologies such as mobile technology and tele-rehabilitation, healthcare and social robots, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, augmented and mixed realities, artificial intelligence, ambient assistive technology to traditional assistive devices and orthotics used to address difficulties for people with disabilities in daily functioning.
PolyU has the niche of hosting the first research centre for AT among other public universities in Hong Kong because PolyU is the only public university in Hong Kong which consists of rehabilitation, health sciences, design, environmental and engineering disciplines as well as a unique services support centre – the Industrial Centre. Rehabilitation and healthcare education courses also have a long history at PolyU and began very earlier in 1978. I look forward to collaborating with you on the research and development of assistive technology in the future.
