WalkableFUTURE · Lightweight Active Orthosis for kids who are unable to walk due to brain damage

One in a thousand newborns has a severe condition of cerebral palsy (CP) so that he or she will not be able to walk at all, ever in life. This affects 5000 babies born each year in the EU, and cumulatively ~63,000 children. There is no known cure for the disease.Some active walking aids (e.g. exoskeletons) may help the child to walk, but they cannot be adapted for children, nor to the special lower limb deformities prevalent in this disease.We will disrupt the walking aid market with a new concept: robotized orthoses. We will build on professional walking aids and motorise them. Ours will be the only active orthosis for children with CP aimed for overground walking, and physiotherapy, as well. Our system does not take into consideration the “faulty” signals from the body, instead it is built on the ideal walking patterns pre-programmed, while a range of sensors anticipate the will of the user.The extensive survey through our distribution partners and potential clients revealed the need for our device that changes the quality of life in such a remarkable way.We will capitalise on the rapid growth enabled by the ease of market entry and fast distribution opportunity, to help hundreds of children every year.