Challenging Environment Assessment Lab (CEAL)

CEAL will be the only facility of its kind in the world. This massive underground lab will feature the world’s first hydraulic motion simulator that can mimic everyday environmental challenges faced by older people and those with disabling injury or illness. Using a multitude of customizable testing environments, researchers will be able to recreate conditions such as ice and snow, different terrain and slopes.

This will allow researchers to safely and accurately measure the difficulties encountered in the real world. The lab will also be used to evaluate the impact of new treatments, devices and technologies developed at Toronto Rehab.

CEAL consists of a large (6m x 6m), 6-degree-of-freedom motion platform that can be configured with various interchangeable payloads (portable, self-contained laboratory spaces).  Currently, three unique payloads are being constructed, including one that has a real ice floor and can reach sub-zero temperatures and produce winds up to 15 km an hour. Another payload has a 180 degree field-of-view curved visual projection screen combined with a treadmill interface and a wheelchair simulator.  All are outfitted with state-of-the-art motion capture systems, eye-trackers, surround sound systems and force plates.

CEAL will provide unique opportunities for researchers interested in many different research areas, including: perception-action coupling, multisensory integration (visual, auditory, proprioceptive and vestibular), visual and auditory processing, virtual reality, biomechanics, the development of assistive devices and mobility aids, and usability testing of new products, techniques and technologies.

CEAL is located in the new tower at Toronto Rehab’s University Centre (550 University Avenue), in the heart of Toronto’s Discovery District.

For more on CEAL: www.cealidapt.com
CEAL brochure 

Contact:
Jennifer Campos, PhD
Chief Scientist, CEAL
416-597-3422 Ext. 7958
campos.jennifer@torontorehab.on.ca