Peter

What it does

Peter is a wearable biomedical device that helps people with Parkinson’s Disease regain their ability to walk. It detects when their legs stop working and automatically plays rhythmic signals through the collarbone to help them move.

Your inspiration

My father, Peter, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018. The disease robbed him of his confidence, independence, happiness and all control over his body. While Parkinson’s is famous for causing shakes, there are over 40 ways the disease causes people to suffer, including freezing of gait. This stops your legs from working and prevents you from moving forward. Terrifyingly, this can happen randomly at any time of the day, leading to severe accidents and falls. Watching my dad suffer from this motivated me to design a device for him during my undergrad, to improve his quality of life and solve this problem.

How it works

Peter helps people with Parkinson’s walk when their legs suddenly stop working, by playing rhythmic signals in real-time. The device is made up of two products: a neckband and a sensor. The neckband is worn over your shirt touching your collarbone and the sensor is attached to your shoe. When walking, the sensor automatically detects when your leg stops and immediately sends a signal to the neckband. Using AI and real-time tracking, the sensor tells if you have chosen to stop or if your leg is frozen. Once received, the neckband plays a rhythmic sound through your collarbone using transducers (so you are the only person to hear it) which keeps your legs moving. Amazingly, this simple rhythm has been proven in Parkinson’s research to prevent freezing of gait symptoms without the need for medication. While simple, the concept is effective and combining bone conduction and real-time tracking provides an ‘invisible’ solution to freezing of gait.

Design process

To address Freezing of Gait, a literature review and interviews with patients, caregivers, and medical professionals were conducted. Market analysis revealed that existing products use attention-drawing cues and are sold as specialist walking aids, increasing their cost. To target this, a cheaper wearable concept was prioritised that would automatically play discrete cues. Initial prototypes were made of plasticine and foam to quickly test their viability. Lightweight and flexible forms were chosen to reduce neck strain. An existing headphone was dismantled to test collarbone touchpoints, with Velcro and foam models enabling rapid creation of multiple design iterations. Testing showed uniform designs were best for easier neckband removal and comfort. 3D-printing was used to develop and validate final forms, which were tested with empathy tools to simulate Parkinson’s symptoms. Button styles and locations were refined based on these findings. User feedback at all stages led to an improved final product. The first proof-of-concept prototype consisted of bulky electronics stored in a 3D-printed housing, and installed components into the final form. This used an Arduino Nano, accelerometers, and transducers for real-time tracking, playing an automatic signal through the collarbone.

How it is different

Unlike its competitors, Peter plays invisible cues that only the user can hear through their collarbone. Existing products use speakers, headphones or lasers, drawing unwanted attention and causing embarrassment to users. Peter is the only market solution to provide real-time tracking for freezing, using a sensor on the user’s shoe. Other products play signals in a repetitive loop, which is less effective and annoying when not needed. Unlike current products, which are often built into costly walking aids, Peter’s wearable design can be used by anyone, making it more accessible and affordable for Parkinson’s users at all stages. Peter is unique to the market as it offers a fast, invisible, and easy solution for freezing. The simplicity of Peter’s technology and core idea improves its commercial viability, providing a real opportunity to meet an unmet need in a market where no one is creating modern, discrete, and desirable Parkinson’s products.

Future plans

The concept has been accepted onto Cambridge University’s incubator programme, Accelerate Cambridge, which will support seeking funding, advancing development and building a team. The design and form factor of Peter will be refined, with a focus on obtaining IP and developing an MVP for future testing. User testing will be assisted by Parkinson’s Disease experts at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, including the head of a Parkinson’s Disease Research Group and a consultant neurologist. Both have verified this concept would work. Successful trials would lead to further funding rounds for mass clinical trials, certification and production.

Awards

Peter won the 2023 New Designer’s “Formula 2GX Passionately Purposeful Creative Innovators Award” and was shortlisted for both the Joseph Joseph and DCA New Designer’s Awards. Recently, Peter received a research grant from Cambridge University’s Wolfson College, providing additional support for future product testing.