Hollis Pierce, a champion for individuals with physical disabilities and the head of accessibility and partnerships at Sielo Robotics in Ottawa, recently achieved a significant milestone by taking his first selfie with the help of the company’s assistive robotic arm, Arlo. Using a space mouse to control the arm, Pierce navigated the process, likening it to playing a video game and expressing both praise and criticism for the technology.
Sielo Robotics, a company founded at the University of Ottawa, emphasizes user experience in its product development. Recently, the company secured a million dollars in seed funding to accelerate its work. Collaborating with The 8-80 Collaborative, Sielo Robotics aims to expand its testing pool to refine its technology for wider adoption.
The company’s chief technology officer, Rafaël Hébert, shared his optimism seeing users like Pierce benefit from the robotic arm’s capabilities, noting the progress made in completing daily tasks independently. Sielo Robotics is focused on addressing the challenges of replicating human actions in various settings, gathering feedback from users to enhance the arm’s functionality.
Masoud Karimi, a robotics control engineer at Sielo, is working on integrating AI into the arm to automate routine tasks, aiming to empower individuals with disabilities to perform complex actions efficiently. The company’s ultimate goal is to create an affordable device covered by insurance, making it accessible to those in need.
With the funding boost, Sielo Robotics is poised to expedite the development process and aims to have their robotic arms available for beta testing in homes by the end of the year. Pierce, who continues to refine his interaction with the technology, envisions a bright future where Arlo transforms the lives of the next generation of individuals with disabilities.