On the wrist, on the head, in a shoe – self-monitoring sensors are literally everywhere.
Now a team from the University of Toronto is putting them in a place you might not have thought of: under a wheelchair cushion.
The reason? Some wheelchair users have conditions or injuries that impair sensation, meaning they can’t feel when they’ve been sitting too long in one position and need to shift positions. That can give way to pressure ulcers that form when pressure cuts off blood supply to an area of the body. They’re difficult to treat and can derail rehabilitation efforts.
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Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
SensiMat is a 1/2-inch thick mat of sensors that’s placed underneath a wheelchair cushion to monitor pressure buildup. The sensors transmit data to a mobile app via Bluetooth, and a proprietary algorithm detects whether a user is in or out of the wheelchair and whether he’s leaning in a certain direction or lifting off of the seat. Alerts are issued when the sensors detect that the user has gone more than 15-30 minutes without shifting.
A web portal also allows users and their therapists to keep track of sitting patterns over time.
The beta version of SensiMat has been developed and validated at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and the team behind it is now looking to raise $15,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to refine the hardware, software and algorithms. So far, they’ve raised about $9,000.
Through the Indiegogo campaign, the early version of the system is being offered for a $299 CAD (about $270 USD) but will retail for $599 (about $545 USD) when the commercial version is ready, plus a monthly fee for access to the web portal, according to the SensiMat website.
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Previously, the project has received funding from VentureStart, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Industrial Research Assistance Program.
[Image credit: SensiMat]
