You are here: Home > ParkAid > History

History

The current PARKAID system is the final prototype developed during the PARREHA IST research project (January 2000 - March 2003). A key objective of PARREHA was to explore the potential virtual reality exercises offers people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Initial prototypes reproduced the experience of walking over a row of pieces of white paper. The user wore a semitransparent head mounted display with integrated motion tracking and carried a notebook PC.
This first prototype was effective but too sophisticated for the average user. The PARREHA consortium developed successively simpler systems and more effective visual patterns and after three years clinically tested the Xybernaut Mobile Assistant PC with bespoke software installed.
PARREHA was worth the cost of 2.860.000, with 1.680.000 EUR funded by the EU. The co-funding by the consortium was therefore, 1.180.000 EUR, of which approximately ¼ can be ascribed to the research on the wearable walking-aid device (i.e. nearly 400.000 EUR)

This first prototype was effective but too sophisticated for the average user. The PARREHA consortium developed successively simpler systems and more effective visual patterns and after three years clinically tested the prototype with bespoke software installed.

In May 2003, the engineering companies in the PARREHA consortium formed PARKAID, a joint venture which they self-finance (100.000 EUR). They were joined in this venture by Ideasis, Greece, who had been contracted by PARREHA during the clinical trials phase and European Technology Investments Ltd ( UK).

PARREHA established the existence of a key population of people with PD who react extremely strongly to visual stimulation and whose lives would be revolutionised by the PARKAID product, but PARREHA was not able to accurately profile and quantify this population. Throughout 2005 AND 2006, clinical trials of the INDIGO will continue at The Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, in the Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery in London is the UK's, and one of Europe's, leading clinics for PD research. Such a research will be funded by the PD Society UK.

As outlined INDIGO is the product of six years of development. A timeline of key events is presented below:

1999

• PARREHA project is launched at Biskirchen PD clinic in Germany.
• Technical partners work on rapid prototype walking aid with simple telematics
• First prototype walking aid uses semi-transparent headset and laptop

2000

• Testing of first prototype walking concludes the device is effective but not practical.
• Testing of teletherapy shows large potential of telemedicine

2001

• Second prototype walking aid developed using wearable PC
• Relationship with wearable PC manufacturer formed
• Extensive validation of all components at Bad Nauheim clinic performed.
• Cambridge University Universal Access & Assistive Technology conference

2002

• Integration of walking aid with telematics realizes full potential
• EU Satellite TV coverage on Euronews
• IST 2002 Exhibition

2003

• PARREHA partners form PARKAID to exploit project results.
• Prototype walking aid selected as finalist for the “eEUROPE awards for eHEALTH”
• Third prototype walking device (“ParkWalker”) developed
• PARKSERVICE concept launched

2004

• ParkWalker renamed INDIGO.
• INDIGO wins EU Assistive Technology Award in the “ New Territory” category (www.dfa-at-awards.org)
• Final prototype for manufacturing process with industrial partners
• The PARKSERVICE service built
• UK PD Society funds 2 year clinical trial of INDIGO at Institute of Neurology
• 8th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Rome 13-17 June

2005

• BBC run article on INDIGO
• Promotion activities start in Germany and Italy
• INDIGO presented at CEBIT 2005 at the Xybernaut stand

PARKAID have finalised commercial agreements with manufacturers of wearable computers (Xybernaut) and glass-mounted displays.

The PARREHA project clarified the certification process for such a device and the final product will be CE marked. This will be financed by the PARKAID consortium itself.

Additional sources of funding have been searched in “Regione Lazio” (the Italian Region PARKAID is based in), as governmental support to SMEs with strong potential for industrial exploitation of applied R&D.