GO!RN, the largest event in the area of technological innovation and business in Rio Grande do Norte, took place on September 20 and 21, with a large number of participants. On the occasion, the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), a social organization from Macaíba/RN, shared an exhibition stand with Banco do Nordeste and the Augusto Severo Science and Technology Park (PAX), providing samples of the institution's work and scientific production, in addition to participating in lectures on technological innovations in health.
There were more than 300 simultaneous activities in 16 thematic areas, with 67 exhibitor booths, one of which was ISD. During the event, the Institute presented to the public the results of research and strategies developed from a multidisciplinary perspective, within the scope of the Anita Garibaldi Center for Education and Research in Health (Anita) and the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS).
“I think the proposal for studies is incredible, especially in the area of rehabilitation. It is very interesting to know that there are people here studying to seek better living conditions for other people,” says Mirllen Fernandes, who visited the ISD exhibition stand at the event.
The Institute also participated in two lecture series, one on each day of the event, on the HealthTechs stage, a space dedicated to innovation in health technologies and procedures. ISD researchers addressed different topics, such as a new proposal for a model for achieving patient goals, the brain-computer interface in rehabilitation and the study of brain aging.
“I have already had the opportunity to visit the ISD. I am participating in the creation of a Neurology League and getting to know the institution was very important in this process. Today, the parasports and athletics surprised me. I was impressed with the level of technology and the performance of the professionals,” says Luís Miguel, a medical student who attended the ISD lectures on the HealthTechs stage.
Virtual reality for rehabilitation
One of the products presented by ISD during GO!RN was a virtual game developed by researchers from the Institute and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The audience of the lecture “Technological innovations and performance in Parasports” were able to watch a demonstration of the use of the technology, whose objective is to prepare people with spinal cord injuries for the use of motorized wheelchairs.
The game reproduces a virtual obstacle course, in which people with tetraplegia can practice controlling the wheelchair by handling an adapted joystick (remote control) – which is equivalent to the electronic device used to move the chair.
The demonstration was led by researchers Edgard Morya, Camila Simão and Fabíola Campos, the ISD scientific initiation scholarship holder Alex Batista, the main creator of the project, and José Carlos Silva, author of the work and a volunteer at the Institute. The game was tested live by Jonas and João Gabriel, athletes who use the parasports and spinal cord injury care lines for children and adolescents at the ISD.
“We are delighted with this new reality, which goes far beyond what we imagine. I believe that technology can be very helpful in parasports, especially for people with disabilities. I am very happy as the mother of an athlete who uses a wheelchair and I truly believe that this technology will help,” says Juliana Souza, mother of young athlete João Gabriel.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
