Fourier Intelligence and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Rehabilitation Robotics

On July 2, VCBeat learned that Fourier Intelligence has reached a new turning point! The University of Melbourne & Fourier Intelligence Robotics Lab and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, ranked No. 1 in the U.S., which was renamed in 2017) have officially signed an agreement to establish a joint laboratory.

Under the strategic cooperation agreement, both parties will engage in comprehensive collaboration in areas including technological research and development, clinical application, new product testing, and standard setting for rehabilitation robots, thereby promoting the global adoption and application of rehabilitation robotics.

It is reported that Fourier Intelligence is the only intelligent rehabilitation robotics company in China, and indeed globally, to have formally signed a partnership agreement with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago). This move marks a milestone for the rehabilitation robotics industry.

On that day, Dr. Richard L. Lieber, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), and Zen Koh, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Fourier Intelligence, jointly signed a strategic agreement. The two parties will collaborate in the field of rehabilitation, with a particular focus on advancing research in neuroscience, physical therapy, biomechanics, robotics, machine learning, human movement, neurorehabilitation, major central nervous system disorders (such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson’s disease), and other motor disorders.

In addition, the joint laboratory will soon recruit dozens of doctoral students in this field to strengthen its research capabilities.

Image caption: (From left) Dr. José L. Pons, Research Chair of the Lower Limb Robotics Technology Institute at the Chicago Rehabilitation Center; Dr. Richard L. Lieber, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist; Zen KOH, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Fourier Intelligence; and Professor Denny Oetomo, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne

Since 1991, the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly known as the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) has been ranked the #1 rehabilitation hospital in the United States for 28 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, a prestigious American publication. The hospital specializes in the treatment of complex medical conditions. Its research enterprise is extensive, featuring numerous laboratories dedicated to motor control, neurological rehabilitation, virtual reality technology, rehabilitation robotics, and gait analysis. These laboratories rarely engage in pure basic research; instead, they are closely integrated with clinical practice. Based on the specific location and severity of patients’ functional impairments, they design and manufacture personalized assistive devices and rehabilitation equipment.

Headquartered in Shanghai, Fourier Intelligence has established subsidiaries in multiple countries, including Singapore. Fourier’s rehabilitation robots have been deployed in over 500 institutions across more than 10 countries, making it the first rehabilitation robotics company to obtain full regulatory approvals from China’s NMPA (formerly CFDA), the U.S. FDA, the EU CE marking, and Australia’s TGA.

Its goal is to bring rehabilitation robots into hundreds of thousands of hospitals and tens of millions of patient homes, enhancing the efficiency of medical services and improving patients’ quality of life.

Fourier Intelligence and the University of Melbourne previously established the “Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Rehabilitation Robotics,” providing a “reference model” and laying a solid foundation for this collaboration. The laboratory focuses on rehabilitation robotics technology, with particular emphasis on robot kinematics and dynamics, and conducts fundamental robotics research by integrating clinical outcomes with practical usability requirements. It currently comprises more than 10 professors and postdoctoral researchers.

“Against the backdrop of a complex international landscape, the signing of this cooperation agreement between the Chicago Rehabilitation Center and Fourier Intelligence is unprecedented on a global scale. Healthcare knows no borders, and the trend toward globalization remains unchanged. We believe that global technological research and development will bring various innovative products to the industry, thereby better serving patients worldwide,” said Zen KOH.

Fourier Intelligence’s signing of a strategic agreement with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago and the establishment of a joint laboratory demonstrate that its technology has gained international recognition, positioning the company to engage more deeply in the global competitive landscape. Meanwhile, the Exoskeleton Robot Open Platform (EXOPS), jointly launched by Fourier Intelligence, National Instruments (NI), and the University of Melbourne in January this year, has also drawn significant attention and endorsement from the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. This globally accessible platform enables robotics research institutions worldwide to conduct secondary development of exoskeleton robots, fostering collaborative efforts to build a robust exoskeleton robot ecosystem.

It was revealed that Fourier Intelligence and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago will join forces to participate in the development of international standards for rehabilitation robotics and assistive technologies.

“Rehabilitation robots can assist therapists, significantly improving work efficiency while also better helping patients by providing precise, real-time assessment data during the treatment process.” In Zen KOH’s view, rehabilitation robots are indispensable equipment for future rehabilitation departments. The Chicago Rehabilitation Center already has hundreds of rehabilitation robots, and this number is expected to continue growing. With continuous technological advancements, rehabilitation robots are also poised to enter patients’ homes directly, providing home-based rehabilitation training, which will greatly enhance patients’ quality of life.

Zen KOH concluded, “We hope that intelligent rehabilitation robots will become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, refrigerators, and air conditioners, becoming essential household items for patients with functional impairments.”