The Go-Bot Story

The Transitional Powered Mobility Aid: TPMA A New Concept and Tool for Early Mobility 

 Christine Wright-Ott, MPA, OTR

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I had always been frustrated by the fact that children with severe physical challenges had few opportunities for experiencing self-initiated upright mobility during their early years.  A time so critical for development was being spent positioned in passive adaptive equipment or lying on the floor (where it was hard to see the world around them or use their hands and arms to play).  This is a real contrast to able-bodied peers who, by 8-10 months of age, begin experiencing the rewards of self-initiated upright mobility.  My dream for children with severe motor delays, such as those with cerebral palsy, was to provide them with the opportunity to experience upright, self-initiated mobility, at as young an age as possible, to augment their development.  In order to achieve this, a new type of mobility device was needed which would enable these children to move, get close to objects for exploring and position them for experiencing gross motor play activities such as pushing, pulling and kicking.  A proposal by the Rehabilitation Engineering Center at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, to develop such a device, known as the Transitional Power Mobility Aid (TPMA), was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services.

The Transitional Power Mobility Aid (TPMA) or Go-Bot consists of a power base and an adjustable positioning frame.  The control system, comprised of four switches or a joystick, can be positioned in almost any location so the child can maneuver the TPMA by using movements of the hands, head or feet.  The frame can be adjusted to position the child either in sitting, semi-standing or standing.  The most challenging aspect of the project was designing a positioning frame to meet the following goals:  can be easily adjusted to fit children from 12 months to 5 years of age, accommodates variations in physical abilities, secures the child in an upright and desirable posture with a minimum of restraints.

The TPMA is not a powered wheelchair.  It is designed for indoor use or on level outdoor surfaces to promote exploratory or "transitional" mobility experiences.  Transitional mobility is the precursor to functional mobility.  It is the early learning stage when children first begin to experience the consequences of self-initiated mobility.  These experiences can "transition" them to a more functional level of mobility, in which they can maneuver accurately and efficiently from one place to another.  It is critical during the transitional phase that the children be allowed the freedom to explore self-initiated mobility in an open space, which is also a rewarding and positive experience.   

Twenty children were observed using the TPMA in 10, one hour sessions at a "Mobility Day Camp."  The children were from 15 months to 4 years of age.  Observations from the parents were noted and included longer naps, happier disposition, a sudden increase in vocabulary and intelligibility, and an increase in eye contact.

The goal of the TPMA is to enable a course of development more equal to able bodied peers, by encouraging exploration which will provide greater opportunities for development in the areas of communication, vision, socialization, upper extremity function, and self esteem.  The TPMA design team, Christine Wright-Ott, Margaret Barker and John Wadsworth, would like to thank all those individuals who made this project possible, particularly the parents, their children, teachers, aides and therapists for contributing their knowledge and ideas during the development of the TPMA. 

The TPMA is sold as the Go-Bot and Mini-Bot by Innovative Products. 

For further information call 1-800-950-5185 or view the website at:

http://www.iphope.com/