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FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN & MACHINE COGNITION VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1 Featured Research Featured Research Happenings Happenings Mobility Unlimited Congress appoints Ford to Florida’s first Ph.D. program IHMC partners with local Challenge names IHMC National Security Commission in intelligent systems and police on drone program a finalist for on AI robotics $1 million prize 3 6 7 8 2 | Ken Ford letter 8 | Kernagis wins Outstanding Young Scientist Award 9 | Levin Center wins AIA People’s Choice Award 9 | IHMC named Ocala’s most innovative company 10 | International Cmaps conference draws people from 22 countries 10 | Alberto Cañas announces his retirement 11 | Science Saturdays 12 | New Team Members at IHMC 13 | Recent lectures ©2019 IHMC 2 Dear Friends, Earlier this year, Senior Research Scientist Peter Neuhaus received word that IHMC and four other organizations from around the world had been selected as finalists in the Mobility Unlimited Challenge, a competition organized by the Toyota Mobility Foundation. It is a significant achievement for Peter and his team to be selected as one of the five finalists. IHMC’s entry in the challenge is our powered exoskeleton, a device that provides paraplegics with increased mobility and independence. More about the Mobility Unlimited Challenge and IHMC’s exoskeleton can be found on page 3. Earlier this year, it was announced that I and 14 other people from the nation’s technology, defense and academic sectors have been tapped for the newly formed National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The commission reports to the President and Congress and is Florida Institute for being asked to investigate and understand how global AI developments might affect national security. Human & Machine More about the appointment and the commission can be found on page 6. Cognition This edition of the newsletter also highlights a new Ph.D. program in Intelligent Systems and Robotics that IHMC is offering in partnership with the University of West Florida. For more on the PhD program, A University Affiliated please see page 7. Research Institute IHMC is also partnering with the City of Pensacola Police Department to develop a comprehensive police drone program. These specialized drones will be used in law-enforcement operations such as search and rescue, disaster response, fugitive evasion and monitoring of outdoor events and festivals. More about the drone program is on page 8. Thank you to all who continue to be loyal followers of our podcast STEM-Talk -- conversations with some of the most interesting people in the world of science and technology. We are excited about soon releasing STEM-Talk Episode 100, a true milestone as we near 2 million listeners. Finally, my good friend and longtime associate Alberto Cañas recently announced his retirement. Alberto and I along with the late Dr. Bruce Dunn founded IHMC back in the early 1990s. As you will read in a story on page 10, even though Alberto is stepping away from his day-to-day duties, he still plans to continue his research into concept mapping and to give lectures. IHMC would not have happened without Alberto. He will be greatly missed. Best wishes, Ken Ford IHMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. Dick Baker Dr. Bill Dalton Mr. Eric Nickelsen Dr. Martha Saunders Residential Development M2Gen Sperry Van Ness University of West Florida Companies Mr. Ron Ewers Mr. Jon Mills Mr. Gordon Sprague Ms. Carol Carlan Ewers Consulting University of Florida Entrepreneur Carlan Consulting, LLC College of Law Mr. Eugene Franklin Mr. Glenn Sturm Mr. J. Mort O’Sullivan Florida Black Chamber of Dr. Alain Rappaport Nelson Mullins Riley Warren Averett LLC Commerce Nudgit, Inc. & Scarborough LLC Mr. Jim Reeves Mr. Hal Hudson Mr. Ray Russenberger Mr. Jay Patel Reeves and Davis Hudsco, Inc. Marina Management Co. Hotel Development FEATURED RESEARCH 3 MOBILITY UNLIMITED International Mobility Unlimited Challenge names IHMC a finalist for $1 million prize Back in 2016 when Peter Neuhaus $4-million program sponsored by the extraordinarily hard. We’re constantly and his IHMC colleagues showed up Toyota Mobility Foundation. The grant struggling against people saying that the at the first international Cybathlon in will allow Neuhaus and his colleagues market for this kind of technology is too Zurich, they didn’t expect much. to further the development of their small. That’s why the work that Toyota Neuhaus and the 10-member IHMC exoskeleton prototype. is doing is so important. It’s really going team just wanted to see how their Last year, Toyota in partnership to help get this technology to the people exoskeleton stacked up against the with Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre, who need it.” other 66 teams from 25 countries. The announced the Mobility Unlimited Each of the five finalists has received competition was designed for people with Challenge, a global competition that $500,000 to develop their prototypes. disabilities who are supported by modern solicited game-changing technologies The final stage of the challenge will be assistive technologies. geared toward improving the lives of held in Tokyo in 2020 where the winner No one was more surprised than millions of people with spinal-cord will receive $1 million. Neuhaus when the IHMC team walked injuries and lower-limb paralysis. Nesta “These five finalists have shown real away with the Silver Medal in the is a UK charity that uses the challenge of innovation driven by human-centered powered exoskeleton race. prizes to stimulate innovation. design,” said Ryan Klem, director of “That’s when I first realized we were At the news conference in Las Vegas programs for the Toyota Mobility really onto something,” said Neuhaus. where the five finalists were announced, Foundation. “We think that the “On the flight back to Pensacola, I media outlets from around the world technology incorporated in these devices remember thinking, “Now what?” covered the event and produced more could change the lives of a huge number Three years later, Peter got his answer. than 120 stories. of people around the world, not just for IHMC recently became one of “For us to be one of the five finalists people with lower-limb paralysis, but also five teams from around the world to is incredible,” said Neuhaus. “Getting those people who have a wider range of receive a $500,000 grant as part of a funding to do this kind of work has been mobility needs.” IHMC team members gather to review next steps for the Mobility Unlimited Challenge FEATURED RESEARCH 4 MOBILITY UNLIMITED The five finalists are from the United The prototype of the exoskeleton Although there are no statistics on States, Japan, Italy and the United that Neuhaus and his team will present paralysis worldwide, the World Health Kingdom. Their devices range from a in Tokyo will be very close to what Organization estimates there are 250,000 lightweight, mobile exoskeleton on wheels Bellman believes will eventually become to 500,000 new cases globally of spinal to a wearable leg sleeve that helps people commercially available. cord injuries. The most common causes of with partial lower limb paralysis regain “It’s Peter’s job and IHMC’s job lower-limb paralysis are strokes, spinal- their mobility to an AI manual wheelchair to create something that will make a cord injuries and multiple sclerosis. made from carbon-fiber. difference in people’s lives,” said Bellman. Once people are confined to a IHMC’s device is called QUIX. It’s a “Our job at Myolyn is to be the bridge wheelchair, they face barriers that not robotic-powered exoskeleton with motors that gets the exoskeleton out of the lab only limit their mobility, but also their at the hips, knees and ankles as well as and into the hands of the people who independence and livelihoods as well as additional actuators that offer someone will benefit from it. We are committed to their human potential. QUIX has the with lower-limb paralysis fast, stable and being part of this amazing project for the potential to replace the wheelchair. agile upright mobility. Neuhaus says the long haul.” “I am convinced the technology behind device stands out because it provides “Current mobility devices are often QUIX has the potential to dramatically people with mobility and independence unable to fully meet the needs of users improve the lives of millions of people that current exoskeletons cannot. due to limitations affecting functionality with lower-limb paralysis,” said Neuhaus. Mark Daniel, a paraplegic who grew and usability,” said Charlotte Macken “When I met Mark Daniel nine years ago, up in Pensacola, has been working with of Nesta. “Historically, the pace of he had just become paralyzed as the result Neuhaus and IHMC on the exoskeleton innovation is slow, due to small and of an automobile accident. He had been since 2010. Daniel says the benefits the fragmented markets and difficulties in a welder who was making good money exoskeleton provides a paraplegic are getting new technology funded by health- until that accident.” significant. From a health perspective, care systems and insurers. This can make Daniel has become Neuhaus’ go-to-guy being able to walk on his own helps the field unattractive to the very people for testing the various prototypes of the Daniel with his cardio, bowel and bladder who could help change the world.” exoskeleton, including QUIX. Daniel function. It also improves his bone density and helps decrease body fat. But the biggest benefit, says Daniel, is more emotional. “Most of the time a paraplegic is sitting in a wheelchair looking up at people,” he said. “I cannot tell you how much it means to be able to stand up on your own and look someone in the eye.” IHMC’s partner for the Mobility Unlimited Challenge is Gainesville-based Myolyn, a medical device manufacturer specializing in exercise cycles for people with neurological issues.

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