Hollis Pierce recently experienced a significant milestone by capturing his first selfie, surrounded by the engineering team responsible for enabling this feat. Pierce, an advocate for individuals with physical disabilities and the head of accessibility and partnerships at Sielo Robotics in Ottawa, utilized Arlo, the company’s assistive robotic arm, controlled through a space mouse for 3D manipulation.
Despite the initial hour-long learning curve, Pierce found operating the fourth-generation Arlo model akin to playing a video game, allowing him to provide valuable feedback to his team. Sielo Robotics, renowned for drawing inspiration from users’ lived experiences, secured one million dollars in seed funding this May to accelerate their projects.
Collaborating with The 8-80 Collaborative, a partnership between the CHEO Research Institute and Bruyère Health, Sielo Robotics aims to expand the reach of Arlo into households and communities. The ultimate goal is to make the robotic arm accessible and affordable, covered by insurance, with the intention of reaching homes for beta testing by year-end.
Through continuous user feedback and development efforts, including AI integration for task automation, the company strives to empower individuals with disabilities to perform complex actions independently. Pierce, excited about Arlo’s potential impact on future generations, envisions a future where this technology benefits young individuals with disabilities from an early age.