Local researchers will develop better medical training simulators and a teaching file as a result of an $850,000 grant from the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

The grant has been awarded to scientists and engineers in the Bradley University colleges of Engineering and Technology and Liberal Arts and Sciences who will work with local medical professionals to build and test a system for simulating medical diagnostic procedures.

"This type of research collaboration is precisely what the founders of Peoria Next envisioned and I am pleased that Bradley is playing such a significant role in this important work," said Bradley President Joanne K. Glasser.  "We thank Senator Dick Durbin and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, our former congressman, for their foresight and support in securing the funding that is essential for the support of this critical research in our community."

“I am pleased that Peoria Robotics is receiving this grant to improve medical training simulators, which will greatly improve the safety and reduce liability of ongoing medical research," said Congressman Aaron Schock. "This research is a key to lower health care costs, longer lives and a healthier population. This funding comes at a critical time as we work to grow our economy and create new jobs.  This project is a win-win for our community."

Dr. John Engdahl, the Donald V. Fites Chair of Engineering and Technology at Bradley, is the principal investigator in the project.  Working with him is Dr. Andy Chiou, a faculty member at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and an adjunct faculty member at Bradley, and Bradley faculty members Drs. Julie Reyer, Arnold Patton, Robert Podlasek, and Dean Kim.

"Our goal is to create cost-effective simulators that will be used to teach medical professionals and other emergency responders to diagnose conditions," Engdahl said.  "By simulating tests requiring haptic experiences, the sense of touch and feel, we will help the medical community develop a means to teach and duplicate a wide-range of exam experiences and pathological conditions."

Researchers will record data of actual haptic experiences by medical professionals to create an electronic file with a wide-range of medical conditions. Existing fixed simulators are limited to a single condition or pathology.

Named Peoria Robotics, the research group has laboratory space in the Peoria Next Innovation Center.  The group expects to create the intellectual property, patent it and create a company to develop the business potential surrounding it. 

"Peoria Robotics captures the true vision of Peoria NEXT. The mission of Peoria NEXT is to inspire collaboration and creativity, spur discovery and innovation, and commercialize these ideas to create economic development," said Jim McConoughey, President/CEO of The Heartland Partnership. "Innovations like this one from Peoria Robotics will help our region to become more diversified and become a desirable location for other technology based businesses. Peoria Robotics proves that this region is a place for innovation to succeed."

Bradley is a private university in Peoria, Illinois, offering a wide variety of academic programs to more than 6,000 students. Students enjoy extensive resources not available at most small colleges and personal attention not commonly found at large universities.

Peoria NEXT is a collaboration of local organizations including Bradley, the Heartland Partnership, Methodist Medical Center, NCAUR, OSF Saint Francis, Caterpillar, and UICOMP whose goal is to facilitate discovery, innovation and commercialization of new technologies for economic development within central Illinois.