An engineering graduate from Co Down hopes to aid millions of people after
helping create a robotic glove which uses artificial intelligence to boost
muscle grip.
Seeing his aunt's struggles with daily tasks such as drinking water or
changing TV channels after loss of movement caused by multiple sclerosis led
Ross O'Hanlon, 24, to produce the device.
The glove detects the wearer's intention to grip by using electromyography
to measure electrical activity in response to a nerve's stimulation of the
muscle.
It then employs an algorithm to convert the intention into force, helping
the user to hold an item or apply the necessary pressure to complete an
activity.
The technology is expected to help with a range of daily tasks including
opening jars, driving and making tea.
The glove is the first product from BioLiberty, a Scottish start-up Mr
O'Hanlon co-founded with three other engineering graduates.
It is aimed at people suffering from hand weakness through illnesses such as
multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and carpal tunnel syndrome - as
well as those who have lost muscle mass loss due to age.
Mr O'Hanlon, from Newry, said: "Being an engineer, I decided to use
technology to tackle these challenges head on with the aim of helping people
like my aunt to retain their autonomy.
"As well as those affected by illness, the population continues to age and
this places increasing pressure on care services. We wanted to support
independent living and healthy aging by enabling individuals to live more
comfortably in their own homes for longer.
"While there are many gadgets on the market that address a specific grip
challenge such as tools to help open jars, I wanted an all-encompassing
solution to support a range of daily tasks."
The team have created a working prototype and have now secured support from
Edinburgh Business School's Incubator, based at Heriot-Watt University which
Mr O'Hanlon said is a "huge boost".
Due to the pandemic, the team is working from home in Edinburgh, Belfast and
London but plan to return to the Business School once coronavirus
restrictions are lifted.
"We're confident that support of this type will help accelerate the glove
into homes more quickly," Mr O'Hanlon added.
"The Edinburgh Business School Incubator has an incredible programme for
early-stage businesses like ours, supporting challenges all new companies
face including the drive for additional funding, marketing, networking,
scaling and forging collaborations."
Kallum Russell, Edinburgh Business School business incubator manager, said
the programme will help support growth by providing networking events,
mentoring, virtual seminars and speaker opportunities.
He said: "As the impact of the pandemic further erodes the economy, access
to support services for business owners has been curtailed.
"As a result, incubators like ours are even more valuable in supporting the
development of innovative new products and services which will help drive
economic recovery and growth."
