New robotic medical device for autonomous, home-based gait neurorehabilitation and weight-bearing leg exercise, aimed at adults with loss of standing and walking function

Project Information

DuoTrainer

Grant agreement ID: 710568

DOI

10.3030/710568

Project closed

EC signature date 1 December 2015

Start date 1 December 2015

End date 31 May 2016

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

INSPIRO AS
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DuoTrainer (New robotic medical device for autonomous, home-based gait neurorehabilitation and weight-bearing leg exercise, aimed at adults with loss of standing and walking function)

Reporting period: 2015-12-01 to 2016-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

There are 45 million people in Europe that cannot walk or stand, but more than 50% of people receiving exercise as part of their therapy do less than the recommended dosage or no exercise at all, because there cannot do it by themselves and lack motivation to persevere.
The objective of this project is to introduce a DuoTrainer in the market: a new robotic system to practise neurorehabilitation training at home. It will break the barriers to engage into regular exercise, thanks to an automated transfer mechanism, a training machine to move the user’s legs, and a gaming interface that provides an enjoyable training environment.
In this project we have performed a feasibility study with the following objectives:
• Perform a market study to identify optimal user profiles and define the marketing strategy.
• Initiate a patent of the innovation.
• Make agreements with suppliers and developers of “exergames”, to obtain a final product with improved characteristics that satisfy the quality required by the market.
• Elaborate a business plan, including the calculations of the investment needed and the finances for the first seven years of commercialisation

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the project we have carried out a technical feasibility study, searched for a game developer, an engineering and design company, and clinical-oriented partners that will support us in next steps, conducted a thorough market study, and made operational and financial plans for the business. As a result we have obtained an improved understanding of the users, the market, and the potential of the business, as well as a plan and partners to undertake the phase 2.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The DuoTrainer represents a substantial progress beyond the state of the art in the field of exercise and rehabilitation machines for people who cannot stand and walk. It is the only machine in the market that will provide the main features of advanced rehabilitation robots, with a consumer cost comparable to other assistive devices, and can be used at home by the patient at any time. It will improve the patients’ quality of life, and save referrals to tertiary centres and millions of euros to public health care.

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