Helping people with Parkinson’s Disease to regain their independence
Insight
A 23% global increase in people living with PD is predicted by 2030 according to the Parkinsons Foundation. People living with Parkinson’s can develop a freeze of gait (FoG) which suddenly prevents them from walking. That fear of FoG is one of the biggest drivers for people living with the disease to become less social and rather stay home instead of keep moving and staying in shape.
Solution
For pharma giant Sunovion, and together with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, we started an open-innovation program called “Little Big Things” for and with people with Parkinson's disease. In rapid design thinking and design doing sprints, we collaborate to invent new products and services.
The solution is called gAIt assist. To prove our hypothesis through experience testing, we designed and prototyped an insole using advanced AI to predict “freeze of gait” and let the insoles vibrate to stimulate the brain of the user in the moments a “freeze” episode occurs, re-initiating movement and averting potential calamity.
Tommy Adaptive X Sunovion
We created an open gAIt assist platform and started working with Tommy Hilfiger’s Adaptive Team to help mobilize users out of freeze of gait, designing simple attach product that includes both hardware and software components, paired with a unique line of clothing that discreetly incorporates the hardware components for more independence for people living with Parkinson’s and the ability to shop the same clothing everyone else can buy.
