2011 Results From the Summit on Rehabilitation Engineering

Throughout the 1960’s attempts were made to transfer sophisticated technology developed by the National Aeronautics and Space administration (NASA), the computer industry, and others into the clinical setting. However this translation was met with obstacles. In 1972 major program commitment by the Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) and the veterans administration was secured to create rehabilitation engineering. The broad objective of Rehabilitation Engineering is to enhance the lives of the physically handicapped through clinical involvement in a total approach to rehabilitation combining medicine, engineering, and related science and technology.