Like you’ve probably seen it on our social networks, FIRST® Robotics Competition propose us, this year, the challenge “Innovation” !
This challenge allows you to give free rein at our imagination : we have to imagine or create an object, a system, preferably non-existent. This object have to enable people to keep fit or get back into shape. This may involve improving daily living conditions, but also helping people with disabilities or health problems (e.g. back problems).
“Determine a problem or an opportunity and design a solution to help people (or a community) to maintain or regain fitness or to achieve optimal health or physical and mental fitness through active play or movement.”
Quote from the specifications for the 2021 season.
Some member of the team decided to rising to the challenge.
From the day after the kickoff (launch of the season), ideas began to fly. After much debate, one idea came to everyone: to offer a walking aid for people with Parkinson’s disease!
For those who don’t now what is Parkinson’s disease, here is a short presentation in a few words:
Parkinson’s disease is caracteristed by a progressive disappearance of part of the brain’s neurons. The concequencies can be multiplied, muscle stiffness, “slowness” to react, fatigue. In addition, in some cases it makes walking difficult.
It’s a widespread disease there are on average 1.5 times more cases in men than in women and 160 000 people are affected in France. In the world, this represents more than 6 million people affected.
This confirms the relevance of our project.
To carry it out, we have defined the steps to be followed :
1 – Contact doctors who are specialists in Parkinson’s disease to ask them about the specific needs of patients and possibly involve them in our process. The first interviews are scheduled for February.
2 – Meet patients, as well as physiotherapists and nurses, to exchange on their daily life and the problems they face, and especially to test our future prototype.
3 – “Webinars” meeting. These are interviews with people from the FIRST® Robotics Competition which aim to help us with 3D design or business plans.
The submission of our project will consist of a video-conference interview, in English, with the FIRST® judges, where we will present the problem studied and its solution, with details of the technologies used, videos highlighting our work and a business plan to assess the sustainability of the project.
You are welcome to follow us to be kept up to date on the progress of this project!