Intelligent Wearable System for Parkinson’s Disease patients (Easypacer)

HKRITA
Overview

Easypacer is a smart wearable system incorporated with sensing insoles, cueing devices, and artificial intelligence that determines occurrence of freezing of gait, one of common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It provides timely cues to patients when freezing of gait appears, preventing falls and reducing risk of injury.

  • Intelligent Wearable System for Parkinson’s Disease patients (Easypacer) 0
  • Intelligent Wearable System for Parkinson’s Disease patients (Easypacer) 1
Technical name of innovation
Easypacer for Parkinson’s Disease patients
Research completion
2021
Commercialisation opportunities
Technology licensing
Problem addressed

Freezing of gait is one of the most debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This intelligent wearable system detects Parkinson patients’ abnormal gait and posture as an indication of freezing of gait and sets up cues for patients accordingly.

Innovation
  • A pair of smart insoles integrated with soft pressure sensors, microcontroller, wireless module, power supply. The sensors are sensitive, small, robust and highly durable, with minimized output signal data and low energy consumption 
  • A mobile APP that captures gait signals, detects and records the occurrence of freezing of gait with over 95% accuracy; after that, the mobile APP triggers one of the three external cueing actions: auditory, visual, and somatosensory to patients
  • High endurance of battery life not less than 15 hours and short response time of about 0.5s to set up cues for patients
Key impact
  • Helping patients prevent falls, reducing burden on the care providers, and improving of quality of life for Parkinson patients
  • Conducting trials with Hong Kong Parkinson’s Disease Association to expand the applicability of the product
Application
  • Healthcare product for Parkinson’s Disease patients
The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA)

Established in 2006, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) is funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR government, and hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 

HKRITA has achieved research deliverables over the years around our research clusters targeting in sustainability, industry advancement and social benefits through our centre-owned research teams and laboratories as well as collaborations with industry partners and institutions. 

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