The EU awards Myoswiss with a €250’000 cash prize

The Horizon Prize for Social Innovation is an initiative designed to identify and recognize solutions that address societal needs particularly on those geared towards improving the mobility of older people. According to the European Commission’s statistics, the proportion of Europeans aged over 65 will grow from 17.5% in 2010 to nearly 30% by 2060. As such, this year’s challenge focused on one of Europe’s major challenges over the next century, an ageing society.

While the major prize of €1 million went to the Danish company, Path Finder, for ist solution for Parkinsons patients, the Zurich based startup Myoswiss won one of the two runners up prizes of €250,000. The company recognized for its wearable technology – the Myosuit.

Myosuit is a lightweight wearable device that combines robotics with functional textiles, acting as a wearable muscle. Myosuit uses intelligent algorithms and sensing technology to deliver continuous force assistance when needed, in an e-bike-like manner where the user performs a few tasks aided by the technology where necessary. Using these algorithms, MyoSuit detects the user’s movement patterns and provides optimal support to the lower limbs across everyday activities such as walking, stair negotiation, and sitting transfers. The product package consists of a backpack, containing a motor, joined by cables to mechanical supports at the hip and knee (See image).

Contrary to wheelchairs, the Myosuit empowers the patient to keep walking, which eventually would enable them to preserve or even improve their muscle function. Target customers include health professionals such as physiotherapists that would use the Myosuit as a multifunctional training device to deliver intensive and activity related training during rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Consumers include people with conditions such as muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis, those recovering from injuries or strokes and people who are experiencing muscle weakness with age.

The EU award comes atop of the previous awards and honours Myoswiss has accumulated since its foundation in 2017.

 (RAN)