Tag Archives: medical gadget

Lifeaz home defibrillator can turn anyone into a life-saving hero

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Modern smartwatches like the Apple Watch are equipped with advanced sensors and algorithms that can help you contact emergency services in case of, well, an emergency. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all they can do, and people are still left at the mercy of said services arriving on time. Even if you are with someone else, the chances of that other person knowing the proper medical procedures are slim, especially when medical equipment is needed in the first place. Rather than leave it up to chance and unpredictable traffic, a new innovative device puts fate into your own hands with a portable defibrillator that can help save your family or friends’ lives, even without intensive training.

Designer: Lifeaz

Defibrillators are a common sight in many TV shows whenever someone goes into cardiac arrest for one reason or another. It might look like a simple process, but reality is less rosy. In addition to the dangerously high voltage (that requires people to shout “Clear!” before each use), using a defibrillator requires proper placement and processes, which, in turn, require proper training. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of such cardiac arrests happen outside hospitals in the US alone, resulting in delayed treatment that could have saved thousands of lives.

With plenty of technologies now available that are devoted to diagnosing body conditions, it’s about time that we get something that can actively save lives. Lifeaz is that “something,” delivering a defibrillator in a small box that can even fit inside a backpack or travel bag in case you need to go somewhere remote. Of course, its main purpose is to stay at home, ready to be used in an emergency to deliver life-saving procedures within those critical first four minutes of a cardiac arrest.

Just as important as its portability is Lifeaz’s extreme ease of use. You simply have to follow the simple instructions to activate the machine in a box and place the electrodes in the proper places, helpfully indicated by clear diagrams. From there, the device can intelligently analyze the situation and the patient’s condition in order to determine the proper settings to help the heart get back up. Users need not be trained emergency personnel and don’t even have to get actively involved other than setting up the machine and monitoring things through a mobile app.

Lifeaz has already been embraced by as many as 10,000 families in Europe and has even been credited in saving 17 lives. In the US, they are still working towards FDA certification, but there will clearly be a huge market waiting for its life-saving technology. After all, it’s one thing to be able to know when your heart isn’t in good condition and quite another matter of literal life or death to get it beating again.

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Uray tries to make at-home urine analysis more convenient and less embarrassing

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We have a lot of new tools and devices today that can help keep tabs on our health even while at home. Not everyone takes advantage of these technologies for reasons that go beyond simple price. Some find these tools just complicated and difficult to use, while others find it too bothersome to fetch the device out of storage. In the latter case, the device is kept in storage because they’re too embarrassing to be seen by anyone else, including family members. Urine analysis tools for the home fall in both categories, which nullifies the benefits of having such a device at home. A new device tries to address those problems and undo the stigma of a urinalysis tool by making it actually look good.

Designer: Andrey Dalakishvili, Dmitry Lyubimov

Most people undoubtedly find urine tests to be uncomfortable, even when done in the privacy of one’s home. While there is no need to draw blood, There is a level of embarrassment attached to the process, especially because of the process required. Unfortunately, that means that most people are at risk of developing kidney diseases that remain undetected until it’s too late. Although there’s no escaping the need to gather urine in a container for the test, Uray promises other ways to convince people to do it more regularly.

For one, there is the element of convenience and simplicity in using the device. You simply collect your urine in a one-time-use container and then put the container inside the device. Just press a button and wait a second for the analysis to be made and the results sent to your phone. On a technical level, it claims to use photonics and AI to deliver instant results that don’t require the use of reagents.

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The latter is important because it reduces the exposure to your bodily fluid. No chemicals are used, and there is no risk of you accidentally even touching anything but the container and Uray. The device itself doesn’t make contact with the urine inside the container and only uses optical spectroscopy to look for 19 biomarkers. Uray is also easy to clean, according to its creators.

Uray also brings something to the table that many might downplay as unimportant. The device comes in an appealing design that could actually be mistaken for a liquid soap dispenser, especially if attached to a wall. Not only does it make the urine analysis device look more approachable but also less embarrassing to be seen by anyone else. If you don’t have to take it out of storage every time you need to use it, you are more likely to actually use it and test your urine for potential health problems. The colored lower portion not only makes it look more interesting but also leaves room for manufacturer customization.

This medical gadget is a good example of how an advanced product can actually be more effective if it looks and operates in a simpler manner. It hides its complexity and sophistication inside a nondescript but aesthetic body, encouraging people to make use of it more often. Just like with smartwatches and fitness trackers, these don’t replace professional medical tools and doctor checkups, but it does offer a broader and more frequent overview of your health in general.

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A solar-powered weighing scale concept to help save the lives of babies in remote communities

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It’s easy to take for granted simple things like keeping track of our weight. For babies in hard-to-reach areas, however, that can be a matter of life or death, and this portable solar scale tries to help tip the scales in the baby’s favor.

The first few weeks of an infant’s life are critical not only to their growth but also to their survival. Many parents might take for granted the many tools and resources available to them in watching over babies during this crucial period, conveniences that are not even accessible to remote and socio-economically challenged communities. Even something as basic as a weighing scale for infants is rare and difficult to come by, something that this product concept is trying to solve in the most efficient way possible.

Designer: Craig McGarrell

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.4 million children around the world died within the first month of their lives. While there are many factors that contributed to this number, a very big factor in remote regions is the ability to monitor the baby’s weight during that month. Weighing scales used in these areas are often old-fashioned analog scales that can be inaccurate and too heavy to move from one community to another easily. This makes it difficult or nearly impossible for healthcare workers to keep a close watch on babies’ weights, leading to unfortunate neonatal deaths.

The ROOTS Solar Scale concept is an attempt to modernize this critical medical equipment without making them too complicated to use or too expensive to maintain. For one, it is completely digital, which removes the risk of getting inaccurate readings over time. It is also solar-powered so that electricity won’t be an issue.

The design is also meant to be lightweight and easy to carry around, even on foot, taking the form of a backpack when not in use. The weighing bowl inside creates a safe structure for the infant to lie in, while the stiff hinge prevents the lid from accidentally closing with the child still inside.

The Solar Scale is meant to be a cost-effective solution that is easy to make and repair, thanks to having very few parts. Despite relying mostly on solar power, the design isn’t completely sustainable, as it relies heavily on plastic, particularly to give the weighing bowl a smooth surface that will be gentle on the baby’s skin while also easy to clean.

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This wearable gadget measures skin oxygen levels to detect and diagnose early signs of illness

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An aesthetically designed medical gadget to detect all the problems that prop up from the dysfunction of underlying skin tissues and capillaries which can be problematic in the long run.

Detecting the first signs of ailment is a determinant in the future treatment and the overall health of an individual. For people with some kind of disease related to peripheral capillaries like peripheral arterial disease (PAD), it becomes even more important to take proactive action once it is identified. Designer Deokhee Jeong has come up with a wearable medical gadget to help patients suffering from this problem to keep a close tab on the earliest signs. This is done by measuring the skin oxygen levels accurately courtesy of the wearable patch Deokhee calls the Transcutaneous Oxygen Sensor.

The wearable medical gadget is still in the concept prototype stage but unlike other designs, this is created in complete synergy between the design team who give direction to the aesthetic requirements and the technology team who ideate the concept. The end result, a functional gadget that solves the intended purpose while being aesthetically ideal for practical usage. Here it is, the accurate detection of blood oxygen levels of the skin tissue and underlying vessels and capillaries. The oxygen detector is designed for ASON Co. Ltd. and it is highly likely it will make it to the mass consumer market in a couple of years.

Transcutaneous Oxygen Sensor uses luminescent gas sensing and soft electronics technology to make the readings. It is far more superior to the SPO2 sensor and much simpler than some of the methods used to detect the disease by medical professionals. Things like Pulse volume recording (PVR) waveform analysis, Photoplethysmography (PPG), Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or Doppler ultrasound flow studies.

The design team and the techie minds come together to blur out all the hassle of these methods and consolidate them inside this compact medical gadget that’s wearable. The patient has to simply stick it onto the back of the hand and the wrist area to do the test. When everything is done, simply put it in the pocket or the closet for next time use. It is that compact!

Designer: Deokhee Jeong

Medical innovations that will revolutionize the future of your healthcare: Part 6

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COVID-19 completely shook up our lives from top to bottom! And the biggest takeaway from this ongoing pandemic has been that nothing is more precious than our health. Health is truly wealth, and 2020 has been an absolute testament to that. Though vaccines are on the way, and they’re fuelling our sense of hope, taking health and medical care for granted is something none of us can afford to do in the future, no matter what. Although we cannot deny, that one positive outcome of this catastrophe is that medical innovations are at an all-time high! These designs are unique, inventive and an absolute boon to the medical force and to humankind in general. They tackle a variety of problems, adding a real boost to modern healthcare. Dig in!

How does an ambulance reach a victim in a road/highway accident when there are more than a dozen cars stuck in a traffic jam between the ambulance and the site of the accident? Up until now, the only solution was to drive in the opposite lane, weaving through oncoming traffic to get to the victim. A band of Korean designers created the Median AMB, a special ambulance that can directly reach the point of the accident without getting affected by the traffic congestion created by the accident. The Median AMB sits on the road divider/median and drives up and down the highway almost like a monorail. It features sliding doors on both sides, seating for a driver and an assistant, and an area for a stretcher that holds the victim. The Median AMB drives down the dividers, right to the victim’s location, picks them up, and brings them to a proper ambulance that can take the victim to the nearest hospital.

Rice University’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (ODEK) has managed to develop a low-cost ventilator with the help of Metric Technologies, named the ApolloBVM. There is a worldwide shortage of medical equipment, especially ventilators as traditionally they are expensive and time-consuming to produce at the rate this virus is moving. ODEK’s alternative costs less than USD 300 and it works on an automated mechanism that squeezes the common bag valve mask ventilation devices that are available in hospitals. This device is usually called an Ambu bag and the ApolloBVM can save the hours that healthcare professionals spend on manually pumping bags when there are no ventilators available. An exhausted human cannot pump air for extended periods of time with the precision of a machine, so with this device, it will be a lot easier to assist patients that need help to breathe. The device will also include feedback sensors that help fine-tune the flow of air to the lungs, as well as motors similar to those that power 3D printers for hours on end.

These ICU pods are called CURA (Connected Units for Respiratory Ailments) which means “cure” in Latin (doesn’t that make you feel a little better?) and these will help take some load off the hospitals, especially in Italy. Ratti’s Studio, Carlo Ratti Associati, and MIT’s Senseable City Lab are creating mobile field hospitals with these CURA Intensive Care pods that serve as a biocontainment unit for two patients at a time. “The aim is that they can be quickly deployed in cities around the world, promptly responding to the shortage of ICU space in hospitals and the spread of the disease,” explained the CURA team as they build the first prototype unit at a hospital in Milan. These units can be set up as fast as tents with the benefit of having hospital-level hygiene which will help contain the infection and especially help those suffering from acute respiratory problems as they need intense care. This will also ensure that the health professionals remain safe while treating the infected who will have a better chance at recovery in the biocontainment units.

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Literally the size of a quarter, the Dab is an unobtrusive Holter ECG/EKG that rests comfortably on your chest, constantly reading your heart’s movements. Designed to be minimal, non-invasive, and simple, the Dab tries to bridge the gap between medical appliances and wearables. Its tiny yet classy design sits on your chest via a gel patch, while the electrodes capture your heart activity. The Dab’s dry-electrodes allow it to be used and reused, unlike disposable electrodes that lead to large amounts of medical waste. They constantly measure one’s heart activity (requiring periodic charging via their wireless charging hub), and keep logs of accurate readings, quietly sitting on your chest while you absolutely forget that they’re even there in the first place!

LifeSaver can be mounted on walls at accessible and prominent locations. If someone is suffering from a cardiovascular attack, you simply grab it and press the button for calling 911 below it. So while you perform CPR, the ambulance is on its way! The first instruction provided is to remove the clothes from the chest of the victim. After that, you open the box and remove LifeSaver from it. Place the AED on the chest of the victim, and follow the instructions. OLEDs and touch sensors guide you through the entire process. LifeSaver even helps you with placing the electrodes correctly and guides you regarding the location and rhythm for the chest compressions. Via visual displays and an audio option, LifeSaver gives you critical feedback.

Amplify was created to give the hearing-impaired demographic an added value that made the hearing aid more than just a medical accessory. “In the ’60s, glasses were aids for a disability. Now, glasses have evolved into ‘eyewear’, a fashion statement, and an extension of your personality. This shift made me question why the main innovation in hearing aid design is developing technology to make them smaller and more hidden,” says the designer on her thought process behind starting the project. Using bone conduction technology, Amplify provides users with high-quality audio for a more comfortable and wholesome sound experience. This technology enables the device to decode sound waves and convert them into vibrations that can be received directly by the Cochlea so the eardrum is never involved. Amplify essentially becomes your eardrum!

Unlike a standard surgical mask, this product allows for continual airflow behind the face cover, so the user isn’t trapped breathing the same stale air. For added comfort, the Medisight’s frame wraps around the head, staying secure with minimal face contact. The clear shield also lets patients see the user’s face, helping them form a more personal connection. It is also helpful for hearing-impaired individuals, who may rely on reading lips to communicate. The most unique feature of the Medisight face shield is the embedded smart display, which presents the patient’s medical information in real-time. Equipped with a real-time black box camera for live recording and transfer of information, this shield can potentially transform the way doctors communicate in a situation – by consulting with specialists who can view the patient and confer/relay instructions without delaying any precious time. Instead of reading off a physical chart, a medical staffer can simply read the information on the glass

Not only does this medicine design make swallowing easier, but it also addresses the larger problem of access to clean water in poorer countries. Since drinking water is a problem, even if medicines are available, it is harmful to people to be taking them with contaminated water. This innovative jelly medicine is created to be water-free so people don’t have to pick between curing themselves or adding on to existing health risks. The jelly is the same size as a sip of water so the patient wont need to drink anything when taking the medicine. “Poor hygiene and poor water quality are causes of many diseases, including cholera and typhoid fever. When taking medicine in such conditions, there is a risk of acquiring additional illness if the medication is taken with unsanitary water. Jelly medicine eliminates this hygienic problem because it can be easily swallowed without water,” says the designer.

Blink is yet another smart medical device created by designers who were influenced by our current situation. It is compact and was made to be used at home, it can perform basic medical tests and report on your vital signs. The user is guided through steps to measure their blood pressure, body temperature, and even carry out basic blood, urine, and saliva tests. Blink collects the data and reports it to a physician who sends his feedback – this not only reduces the risk of transmission (especially in a pandemic) but also is reassuring instead of anxiety induced by overthinking.

Modoo is the world’s smallest fetus monitoring patch! Created from stainless steel, and featuring a soft silicone casing and medical grade silicone paste, Modoo is worn on the mother’s belly, to record the fetus’ every movement. You can record and keep a track of the baby’s heartbeat, heart rate, its every kick and punch, basically all of its movements! Modoo not only monitors the baby but the mother as well. A range of smart sensors ensures that both the baby and mother are healthy and safe. You can also set little tasks for performing exercises, and get in touch with medical professionals and consult them! Modoo ensures that your entire pregnancy experience is safe, smooth, and hurdle free!

Check out more innovative and revolutionary medical innovations with more posts of this series!

This fashionably wireless stethoscope can pick up early signs of degenerating joints

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When you say stethoscope, the first thing that comes to mind is an age-old instrument a doctor uses to auscultate a patient’s heart and lungs. The design of a doctor’s stethoscope hasn’t seen a lot of aesthetical alterations since I saw the first one – it’s been decades! Now that there is some innovation – it’s not really for the first intended purpose. The Auvis here is a digital stethoscope that is structured to detect early signs of arthrosis. The instrument has built-in sensors to catch sounds emitted by joints, making it easier to pick up degenerating cartilage inside them.

Arthrosis that this digital stethoscope intends to detect is a non-inflammatory degenerative condition that’s mainly associated with aging. It occurs as a person grows older and the joint cartilage becomes rugged and begins to wear out. Since, the designer says, “cartilage degeneration, the starting point of arthrosis, can neither be seen on X-Ray nor MRT,” the Auvis presents itself as a viable med gadget. Degenerating cartilage tends to generate sounds that the sensors on the Auvis can pick up to let a physician interpret the feedback and give the diagnosis. Like an ordinary stethoscope, Auvis also comprises an examining tool and a neckpiece – the only difference being, these are wirelessly connected and offer an unrestricted opportunity to examine various joints on the body.

Designed by Lara Laddey of Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel University, Auvis stethoscope’s conception is based on a 2019 technology developed by German researchers that can detect the sound emitted by joints. This study is the base of the Auvis which besides its medical benefits is for one a stethoscope young medicos will love to flaunt outside of the operation theater.

Designer: Lara Laddey

iTENS Is World’s 1st Wireless, App Enabled TENS Therapy Device

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iTENS Wireless App Enabled Therapy Device 01

Wearable tech and pain relief aren’t typically found in the same sentence, let alone in the same device, but iTENS, a medical gadget that will be launched at CES 2016, brings these two concepts together for the first time ever.

iTENS, an Akron, OH-based healthcare and technology startup that made a goal out of reducing, or even eliminating pain altogether. The company’s eponymous device has recently been cleared by FDA, and after a short visit at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show, should become available in a commercial form, to the relief of the ones suffering from chronic pain.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), has been one of the healthcare providers’ main solutions for treating or at least alleviating pain for a few decades now. The devices used for this type of therapy emit tiny electrical signals through the skin that prevent pain signals from getting to the brain. In doing so, the device also stimulate the release of endorphins, which represent the body’s natural painkillers.

“The iTENS device was created for people who are in need of a portable, convenient method of pain management that doesn’t involve taking prescription medication,” explained iTENS CEO Joshua Lefkovitz. “We designed the iTENS to be thin, flexible, discreet, and easy to operate with the push of a button from the iTENS app.”

As Lefkovitz pointed out, the device represents a portable method of dealing with pain, and that is one of the highlights of iTENS. It is the first true wireless TENS therapy device that comes with a companion app for iPhones and Android devices. To grasp the revolution brought forward by this company, try to imagine that TENS devices normally include a separate unit and wires, whereas iTENS only involves an electrotherapy device that communicates via Bluetooth with smartphones running the companion app.

It should be noted that, at the most, smartphones have been used in tandem with medical gadgets either for gathering statistical data or for providing biofeedback. The iTENS takes an entirely different approach, as it actually delivers therapeutic treatment stimuli that lead to instant and durable pain relief.

iTENS has been classified as a medical-grade device that doesn’t require a prescription, so once it will be commercially available, people in pain will be able to purchase it right away. The included Li-Ion battery enables people to use the device for up to 24 hours on a single charge, with the only consumables remaining the peel’n’stick gel pads. Even those are reusable, but should users need to replace them, they will find these at affordable prices.

To learn more about the iTENS wireless, app-enabled medical gadget, head over to the manufacturer’s website, or if you happen to be in Las Vegas next week, check out the booth #74926 at the “Living in Digital Times” section of the CES 2016 tradeshow, which is set to take place between January 4-9.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Goldfinger smart glove that is powered by finger movements, or the software that analyzes face videos to determine pain levels.

MusicGlove Hand Device Accelerates Recovery of Stroke Patients

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MusicGlove Hand Rehabilitation System

People who are recovering from a stroke or from other health conditions that have an impact on hand movement can now go through a new type of rehabilitation that’s based on a system called MusicGlove.

Developed by Irvine, CA-based Flint Rehabilitation Devices, the MusicGlove couldn’t have had a more self-descriptive name. It is worn as a glove on the hand that was affected by the stroke, and it gathers data regarding the fingers that are moving. Upon doing so, the wearer receives some visual feedback that motivates him or her to focus on the fingers that require more exercise. Now this is where it gets interesting: the visual feedback is provided in a manner that resembles the GuitarHero video game quite a lot. Come to think of it, this pretty much explains the first part of the device’s name.

Here is a fragment of the announcement:

“In addition to being fun and effective, MusicGlove changes the way clinics provide hand therapy. The device requires minimum intervention from a therapist while users play the game, so clinics can provide more intensive group therapy without increasing staff. MusicGlove also records accurate quantitative data that allows therapists to set goals for their patients and track functional improvements over time. The low price and ease of use of MusicGlove is a breath of fresh air for clinics that typically do not have access to other smart rehabilitation technology and equipment that can cost over $50,000USD and require advanced training to use.

Results of a randomized controlled trial of MusicGlove with individuals with stroke published in the Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation showed that people using MusicGlove had significantly greater improvements in hand function than people doing conventional hand exercises after only two weeks. Users reported regaining the ability to open doorknobs, type on a keyboard, wash dishes, use silverware, bathe and wash themselves, and use the restroom independently after exercising with the device.”

The gamification of various activities seems to be fruitful not only when it comes to apps such as the old Foursquare, but also in medical recovery.

MusicGlove is available for sale on the manufacturer’s website, in two different versions. The home version costs $1,149, while the clinic version will set customers back a whooping $4,199.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Toyota rehabilitation robots that train balance and leg swing, and the Mobile Music Touch that reestablishes sensory perception.

Eko Turns Regular Stethoscopes Into Smart Ones

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Eko Stethoscope Attachment

Digital stethoscopes get praised for their hi-tech features, but their steep price and low availability makes them really unappealing. The Eko attachment represents a far more accessible upgrade that improves the way clinicians interact with their patients and with the stethoscope itself.

Developed by Berkeley, California-based Eko Devices, this device attaches to analog stethoscopes and, using a companion app, provides additional details during the auscultation. All that clinicians have to do in order to attach Eko to their stethoscopes is to remove the stem from the tubing and place the device inbetween.

Eko comes with a button that enables medical personnel to switch between analog and digital modes. When the digital mode is selected, Eko makes use of Bluetooth to transmit recorded data to the companion iPhone app. If heart sounds happen to be hardly audible, Eko provides the option of amplifying them and recording them for later reference.

The fact that the companion app is only available on iOS is a great disappointment, as I’m pretty sure there are plenty of doctors out there who use Android devices. The mobile platform can store the name of the patient, as well as a history of the auscultations. Doctors are free to share data pertaining to a patient with other specialists, just in case they need a second opinion, and all this can be done from within the app.

Visual feedback is always important, but performing an electrocardiogram on each patient takes time. The app is capable of doing this right away, and on top of that, some thresholds are displayed in order to establish whether the patient has a normal heart rate or not. Such features are particularly useful for med students who might forget every now and then the exact physiological values.

Doctors and medical students alike can join a waitlist on the Eko Devices website in order to find out when the Eko stethoscope attachment will hit the market. Even though there has been no word on how much it will cost, Eko should be cheaper than electronic stethoscopes such as the Littmann 3100, as otherwise it would defeat its entire purpose.

Eko Devices is currently looking for business partners, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they launched a crowdfunding campaign sometime in the near future.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the ViScope MD, the visual stethoscope with murmur signal wave display, and Xiaomi’s $32 Android-compatible blood pressure monitor.

Toyota Rehabilitation Robots Train Balance and Leg Swing

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Toyota Rehabilitation Robots

Medical gadgets have gone a long way, especially because of the advancements in assist robotics, a field that Toyota has been exploring in the past few years.

The Japanese company has started testing the bionic leg and balance-gamification system back in 2011, and it’s now rolling out new versions of these in hospitals from its homeland. Called the Walk Training Assist and Balance Training Assist, these pieces of hardware will help paralyzed or recovering patients walk again.

Toyota initially planned to launch the two versions of assist robotics last year, but 2013 came and went away without the Walk Training Assist or the Balance Training Assist becoming commercially available. Of course, the company is interested in selling these to as many hospitals as possible, and that’s actually the main goal now. The purchasing power of hospitals from around the world, correlated with the price of such robots, will determine the adoption rate. Ideally, every hospital that’s dealing with the recovery of function and mobility of paralyzed patients should own Toyota’s bionic leg and balance-gamification system, but unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world.

The Walk Training Assist is basically a brace that covers the knee and the lower-leg. Some of the things this robot can help recovering patients with are knee-straightening, body-weight support and adequate leg-swing. Variable resistance levels have been added so that the Walk Training Assist adjusts to the wearer’s progress. Joint-angle and walking data are transmitted to a screen for visual feedback, but audio queues are also available.

The Balance Training Assist might have well be inspired from the Nintendo Wii Balance Board game, as it displays a character on a screen that can be controlled by the patient. This robot consists of a Segway-resembling device that helps patients maintain their balance. As mentioned before, this system is based on games that train balance, and besides the tennis task, Toyota is thinking about adding skiing and rodeo. Obviously, the difficulty levels are correlated with the patient’s rehabilitation progress.

Honda, the maker of ASIMO, is also working on robotic prosthetics and assisted-walking devices based on research regarding the humanoid robot. In other words, Japanese companies seem to give this field a lot of thought, and since many of the events leading to paralysis cannot be avoided, I believe it’s good that someone is considering solutions for restoring the mobility of patients with such problems.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about ViScope MD, the visual stethoscope with murmur signal wave display, and the SmartMio wearable sports muscle stimulator.