University Beat: Japan Underwater Robots / Shriners-Arm Replacement (May 17, 2011)

On Television

Dr. Eric Steimle of AEOS (and former USF researcher) examines the SARbot in Minami-Sanriku, Japan

Japan Underwater Robots

It’s the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in a way you’ve never seen before. Researchers from USF’s Center for Ocean Technology spent a week in the northern Japan, where they used underwater robots to assist authorities. University Beat on WUSF TV has their story, along with some of the incredible video and pictures from the scene.

Watch Now

On the Radio

8 year old Josalyn Kaldenberg, recipient of first total expandable total humerus replacement in the U.S.

Shriners-Arm Replacement

It’s a surgery that’s been done for adults before, but never for children in the United States. Now, thanks to the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Shriners Hospital on USF’s Tampa campus, an 8 year old girl from Iowa will one day be able to play the piano again. It’s all because of a ground-breaking surgery that replaced her cancer-ravaged upper arm with a device that will grow as she does. We’ll find out more about the procedure on this week’s University Beat.

Listen Now

Download Audio

Program Schedule

Radio - During "Morning Edition" on WUSF 89.7 Tuesday after the 6:30 AM and 8:30 AM newscasts | During "All Things Considered" on WUSF 89.7 Tuesday at 5:44 PM | After "Florida Matters" on WSMR 89.1 Friday at 7:30 PM
Television - Tuesdays at 11:55 AM and 8:55 PM, and various times throughout the rest of the week

Video extras

Dr. Robin Murphy, Director of the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) at Texas A&M University, talks about how the damage in Japan dwarves anything she saw during similar missions after hurricanes in the U.S. The former USF professor was previously profiled in this University Beat report.

Another former USF researcher, Dr. Eric Steimle, Program Manager for Applied Environmental & Ocean Sciences (AEOS), talks about how the remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s) are continuing to evolve.

Video of the AC-ROV underwater video camera and sensor platform as it scans the wreckage of a house in Rikuzentakata. (courtesy CRASAR & NSF)

Sonar image of a structure captured by a Sarbot vehicle in Minamisanriku. (courtesy CRASAR & NSF)

Video image of a structure captured by a Sarbot vehicle in Minamisanriku. (courtesy CRASAR & NSF)

Audio extras

Dr. G. Douglas Letson, head of Moffitt Cancer Center's Sarcoma Program & Director of USF Health's Orthopaedic Surgery Residency, talks about the procedure to remove Josalyn's upper arm bone & replace it with the expandable prosthesis. He also talks about what's next for the 8 year old girl's recovery.

Heidi Kaldenberg, Josalyn's mom, speaks at a press conference about her feelings during the whole ordeal.

Dennis Grogan, chief of staff for Shriner's Hospital for Children-Tampa, on how monumental the surgery is and how it fits into his organization's working relationships with Moffitt & USF.

Photo Gallery

Josalyn's new, extendable prosthetic arm, which is attached to an artificial elbow and partial artificial shoulder joint.

For more information

Japan Underwater Robots
Karen Dreger, Research Associate, USF Center for Ocean Technology
kdreger@mail.usf.edu

Dr. Robin Murphy, Director, Center for Robot-Assisted Search & Rescue (CRASAR), Texas A&M University
murphy@cse.tamu.edu

Dr. Eric Steimle, Program Manager, Applied Environmental & Ocean Sciences (AEOS
esteimle@aeosciences.com

Shriners-Arm Replacement
Shriners Hospitals for Children – Tampa
813-972-2250

Bookmark/Search this post with

Program

University Beat

University Beat is a radio and television program that focuses on the research and work at the University of South Florida and how it benefits the Tampa Bay area, Florida, and the world around us.