transforming wheelchair mobility
MOOVOBRAIN is an all-in-one, low cost, wheelchair control solution that emphasises user independence, safety, and connectivity
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 80 million people (or 1% of the world’s population) are likely to require a wheelchair to assist their mobility. However, many users do not have full control of their upper body and have to rely on caregivers for mobility.
A team of young Tunisian female engineers, aged between 27 and 28, is addressing this issue and have developed the MOOVOBRAIN, a solution that transforms wheelchair mobility with a brain-machine interface. MOOVOBRAIN is a wheelchair control system technology that allows users to operate their wheelchairs using voice, brain signals, facial expressions or a touchpad. This innovation offers newfound autonomy to those often sidelined by conventional assistive technologies. MOOVOBRAIN could help millions of wheelchair users worldwide by giving them new independence to those constrained by physical limitations
How it works
The MOOVOBRAIN technology controls wheelchairs using brain signals, voice, facial expressions or a touchpad.
MOOVOBRAIN provide a mobile application and an electronic interface that integrate seamlessly with existing electric wheelchairs, processing signals from a smartphone to guide movement.
While several competing products offer one method of control, MOOVOBRAIN offers four distinct modes, catering to a wide range of disabilities. The four driving modes accommodate different needs, disabilities and health conditions. Available for people who can speak and those who cannot, this system is a four-in-one solution with a multiplied potential impact. Furthermore, it can be retrofitted to conventional wheelchairs.
The four modes are:
- “brain driving mode’: a helmet monitors electrical brain activity and eye movements, enabling users to command the wheelchair by focusing or blinking
- ‘grimace driving mode’: specific facial expressions offer control.
- “voice driving mode“: users can navigate using spoken commands
- ‘manual driving mode’ via app, option available to those with limited muscle strength
Additionally, the MOOVOBRAIN system provides a space for assistants and caregivers, offering features like tracking the wheelchair and the user’s phone battery in real time, along with receiving notifications and alerts.
This comprehensive approach not only caters to a broad spectrum of disabilities but also emphasises user independence, safety, and connectivity.
Life-changing impact
MOOVOBRAIN has a life-changing impact on people who, ordinarily, would be entirely reliant on the assistance of a caregiver. “It affects their emotions as they feel more independent. It is just a simple action, but for them, it’s a very big change in their lives,” says Khaoula Ben Ahmed, one of the MOOVOBRAIN inventors. Echoing these sentiments, her co-founder Souleima Ben Temime explains the team’s motivation: “To see the impact that we’re creating, and what we are capable of creating next, this is the fuel.”
From personal inspiration to global impact
The MOOVOBRAIN inventors were inspired to create MOOVOBRAIN when Souleima Ben Temime’s uncle suffered a severe heart attack, leaving him unable to move or communicate.
As biomedical engineering students at the Higher Institute of Medical Technologies in Tunis, the four young women combined their expertise to develop a prototype within a year. Their passion for using technology for social good drove them to establish their startup, GEWINNER, in 2019. Since then, the team has been awarded a Startup Act Label from the Tunisian government. This legal recognition grants various tax and social benefits to innovative scalable technologies.
Towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
GEWINNER’s versatile, user-centric solution comes at a more affordable price compared to competitors. By helping make independent mobility more accessible to a broader range of users, MOOVOBRAIN aligns with the SGD 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
he MOOVOBRAIN system directly contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, Good Health and Well-Being, and 10, Reduced Inequalities. By offering an innovative solution that enhances mobility and independence, the invention addresses the health and well-being of a significant portion of the global population that faces daily challenges due to mobility impairments. By accommodating various disabilities with its multiple control modes, MOOVOBRAIN offers more opportunities for mobility and greater participation in society.
Awards & recognition
The Tunisian team behind MOOVOBRAIN has been selected as finalist against a Dutch and a Ukrainian ones for the Young Inventors Prize run by the European Patent Office. The young inventors were selected from over 550 candidates for this year’s edition.
source: EPO I Gewinner
cover image: Gewinner
author: Barbara Marcotulli
Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since its very first editions to make innovation accessible and usable to all, with the aim of not leaving anyone behind. Its blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, startups, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy and abroad.
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