Combining Shape-change and Biofeedback to Improve Mental Health Delivery

Descripción del proyecto

Transformar la atención a la salud mental con inteligencia artificial y biosensores

Los problemas de salud mental podrían convertirse en la enfermedad más común del mundo en 2030, pero en la actualidad solo una tercera parte de los pacientes logra recuperarse. El equipo del proyecto Ankor, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, pretende cambiar esta situación proporcionando un apoyo a la salud mental más eficaz y accesible. Combinando biosensores, inteligencia artificial y dispositivos de cambio de forma al instante, en Ankor se ayuda a pacientes y médicos a influir tanto en el cuerpo como en la mente, lo que mejora los resultados del tratamiento. Para preparar el lanzamiento al mercado, el equipo del proyecto está construyendo modelos de trabajo, recabando opiniones de los profesionales y poniendo a prueba la demanda. Al duplicar las tasas de recuperación y llegar a millones de personas que se encuentran desatendidas hoy por hoy, el objetivo de Ankor es que la atención a la salud mental sea práctica, personalizada y ampliamente accesible.

Objetivo

Mental health conditions are set to become the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide by 2030 (at a projected cost of €14.8 trillion), surpassing other major health concerns. The most effective path to lasting recovery involves Mental Health Professionals (MHPs), but despite significant efforts, they currently can only help around one in three patients recover during treatment. MHPs lack adequate tools and remain ill-equipped to support the 970 million people in need of mental health care. Typical treatment cycles involve only one hour per week to rewire maladaptive responses, while digital alternatives suffer from a low two-week retention rate of 3.9%.

Ankor is a unique and scalable solution designed to help MHPs deliver faster, more effective treatments, aiming to double recovery rates and extend support to over 100 million additional patients; for whom existing solutions have failed. By integrating biosensing, AI, and real-time shape-changing mechanisms, Ankor enables both patients and MHPs to interact with and modify physiological and psychological responses, making mental health care more tangible, accessible, and easy.

The primary objective of this project is to explore and validate the innovation potential of our technology, with a focus on building customer traction and identifying viable market pathways. Specifically, we aim to: (1) construct functional demonstrators to advance the capabilities and reach of our technology; (2) engage with potential customers and establish relationships with key stakeholders, gain insights into market needs, and assess the commercial viability of Ankor; (3) create a market validation report that quantifies the demand for our technology and outlines a market entry strategy with measurable milestones.

Through this project, we will set the groundwork for launching a spin-out company to commercialise the Ankor concept and product with the long-term goal of radically improving the delivery of mental health support.