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Sielo Robotics, a company founded by engineering students at the University of Ottawa, has secured $1 million in funding to advance the development of robotic assistive devices for people living with physical disabilities.

The company is a member of the 8-80 Collaborative, a partnership between the CHEO Research Institute and the Bruyère Health Innovation Team that directly supports the development and commercialization of health technology.

One of Sielo’s innovations is Arlo, a robotic arm designed to help people with limited mobility complete everyday tasks independently. Arlo can assist with tasks ranging from eating and drinking to reaching for objects, opening doors or wiping a person’s nose.

People with lived experience have played an important role in shaping the technology. For Hollis Peirce, a patient and Bruyère Health and Sielo’s Head of Accessibility and Partnerships, that impact is deeply personal.

Hollis, who uses a power wheelchair, has been involved in testing Arlo and providing feedback to help shape its development.

In a recent CBC Ottawa story, he shared how he used Arlo to pick up his phone and take a selfie independently for the first time at age 38. What initially took about an hour has become easier as the technology has evolved.

Experiences like Hollis’s demonstrate what greater independence can mean in everyday life. By helping people complete routine tasks on their own, technologies like Arlo have the potential to reduce reliance on caregivers while giving people greater autonomy in their daily lives.

The funding will help Sielo continue developing Arlo as the company works toward placing the technology in users’ homes for beta testing by the end of 2026.

Sielo’s work is one example of the innovation supported through the 8-80 Collaborative. Launched in 2023 with support from the federal government, the initiative brings together innovators, researchers, clinicians, and patients to develop solutions that improve care across the lifespan, from 8 seconds to 80 years.