Due to demographic trends, orthopaedic operations such as hip and knee replacements and the need for specialist staff will increase. Continuous and quantitative recording of human motor function is required for optimal rehabilitation. However, current technical solutions require either a visit to a gait laboratory, which only a few specialised clinics have due to the high costs, or a monitoring system worn on the body, which only records a few minutes with sufficient accuracy, cannot be integrated into clothing and is complex to put into operation.
For the first time, LifeHelper records human motor activity at any time and in any place in a highly precise, continuous, robust, compact, calibration-free and recyclable manner. LifeHelper realises this disruptive movement measurement with battery-free “tags” that are integrated almost invisibly into any item of clothing as small, flat wireless sensors that are always ready for use and whose current positions are calculated by a tracking device worn on the belt (see Appendix 1).
LifeHelper thus not only optimises and shortens the rehabilitation process through quantitative and continuous movement monitoring, but also counteracts neurological diseases (e.g. Parkinson’s) through individual medication, enables evidence-based physiotherapy and occupational therapy measures and increases the quality of life even in old age through preventive training. The unlimited amount of individual movement data also opens up completely new applications for artificial intelligence (AI). Last but not least, the continuous movement measurement also enables new sports and gaming applications, meaning that LifeHelper opens up several new future markets at the same time.
The outstanding LifeHelper project consortium can only be found in the border region between Germany and the Netherlands and contributes to a more innovative programme area through close interdisciplinary cooperation.
