Principal Investigator Stephen Sprigle, PhD, PT
Stephen Sprigle is a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology with appointments in Bioengineering, Industrial Design and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. A biomedical engineer with a license in physical therapy, Sprigle directs the Rehabilitation Engineering and Applied Research Lab (REARLab), which focuses on applied disability research and development. The REARLab’s research interests include the biomechanics of wheelchair seating and posture, pressure ulcer prevention, and manual wheelchair propulsion. Its development activities include standardized wheelchair and cushion testing and the design of assistive and diagnostic technologies. Sprigle teaches design-related classes in both the Schools of Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering.
Taylor Allen, MS
Taylor Allen is a PhD candidate in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech and a Graduate Research Assistant for the REARLab. With a BS in Biomedical Science and an MS in Mechanical Engineering, she utilizes her multidisciplinary background to conduct research in areas such as Design for Manufacturing and Design Optimization, focusing on how they can be applied to assistive technology (AT). Her current research centers around improving the product development process when designing low-volume AT in order to remove some of the barriers companies encounter when trying to design and market AT.
Jonathan Farnum
Jonathan Farnum is a Research Engineer at the REARLab under the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. With a BS in Mechanical Engineering, he serves a multifaceted role in supporting the overall operation of the lab, advancing assistive technology design and development projects, facilitating student usage of the lab space, building and maintenance of data processing pipelines, and performing standardized testing of commercial assistive technology products.
