Page 6 - Mobility Management, May/June 2021

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The ISS Gets Social
The University of Pittsburgh is preparing to welcome the CRT industry back, in person
After a very long year filled with quarantining, social distancing, and a “new normal” full of Zoom meet- ings, the Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry is
preparing to once again attend in-person conferences. The 2021 International Seating Symposium (ISS) has
been moved to late October from its usual March time slot, and the hosting University of Pittsburgh has raised its social media presence to keep stakeholders informed.
In early June, the Pittsburgh team launched social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to ramp up, noting, “The 37th ISS wants to be able to communicate with our followers and provide up-to-date
information quickly.”
Currently, Pittsburgh’s ISS team is planning a hybrid
conference format, with attendees being given the option of attending online during and after the in-person conference. Speakers will also be given the option of presenting their sessions remotely.
Registration for the 2021 ISS opened in early May.
The conference takes place Oct. 28-30 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, with pre-sym- posium workshops being held Oct. 26-27.
The University of Pittsburgh says the ISS will feature more than 100 courses taught by subject matter experts, with an 85,000 square-foot expo hall housing more
than 100 seating and wheeled mobility manufacturers, industry and professional organizations, research labs, advocacy groups and university programs.
For more information, including details on hotel blocks and the conference schedule, visit https://www.seat- ingsymposium.us/. m
Permobil Launches Voice Assistant for Its Power Chair App
Permobil has given its power wheelchair users another communications option with the rollout of the manufac- turer’s Voice Assistant feature.
In a May 26 news announcement, Permobil said the new Voice Assistant on the MyPermobil app will enable wheelchair users to “access key wheelchair information verbally while at home or on the go with their Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant device or app.”
Connected wheelchair technology, Permobil pointed out, has been standard on its M- and F-Series Corpus and Corpus VS wheelchairs for years. “These models all come Connect-ready, and once the end user down- loads the app and activates MyPermobil, the information is automatically transferred into the smartphone app for easy access,” the news announcement said.
But the addition of Voice Assistant makes the commu- nications process easier for end users who find it difficult to efficiently operate a smartphone with their hands.
Ginger Walls, PT, MS, NCS, ATP/SMS, Permobil’s Director
of Clinical and Technical Education, said about the launch, “Many Permobil users have conditions that impact their gross motor function to reach for their smart- phone, and fine motor function to tap the screen. For users lacking this dexterity to use their MyPermobil app with their hands, they can now take advantage of the many in-app functions with their voice.”
Once Voice Assistant is linked up to Alexa or Google Assistant, end users can ask when their power chairs were last charged, what the current battery charge is, and what their power chairs’ serial numbers are. Voice Assistant can also estimate the available indoor or outdoor travel range and can report on powered seating activity, such as use of tilt and recline functions.
The MyPermobil app also collects longer-term data, such as daily distances traveled, and data on powered seating functions daily, weekly, or monthly. In-app tuto- rials are available to teach users how to get the most out of the MyPermobil app. m
6 MAY-JUNE 2021 | MOBILITY MANAGEMENT
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