The NeuroRehabilitation Across the Lifespan (NeuRAL) Laboratory, directed by Rachel Hawe, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology, participated in research and outreach efforts through the Driven to Discover Research Facility (D2D) at the Minnesota State Fair and the Stevens County Fair. D2D is designed to allow researchers to engage with the public on research projects.

The NeuRAL Lab was conducting a collaborative project with the Applied Motion Lab directed by Stephen Guy, PhD, in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The project was using custom designed video games to examine how children ages 6-17 move their arms. The games can be used in the future for assessment or treatment of children with motor impairments including cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, or autism. Drs. Hawe and Guy were also joined by graduate students Shelby Ziccardi (Computer Science) and Giselle Kian (Design). Overall, the team collected data from nearly 200 participants. They were also able to discuss and demonstrate their study for University of Minnesota interim president, Jeff Ettinger.