Together We Will
Story update
Back in late 2014, we wrote about a group of UW students who won the 鈥檚 Tech Sandbox Competition, now known as the Neural Engineering Tech Studio. Fresh off their win, they were turning their idea from the competition, vHAB (or virtual reality-focused rehabilitation therapy) into a viable product and beginning to navigate the startup world.
Fast-forward to today, and the group 鈥� now 鈥� is still sailing full-steam ahead. With help from the UW鈥檚 , in 2015 they successfully spun-off their startup and licensed the vHAB technology. They鈥檝e also presented vHAB at the American Occupational Therapy Association鈥檚 annual conference, and completed the Jones + Foster Accelerator, a program at the that helps student-led startups get off the ground.
Up next? The group began initial market testing, with their first pilot customer providing feedback on vHAB. And thanks to funding from sources including the Jones + Foster Accelerator, resources and incubation space from the CSNE, and new partnerships in the pipeline, MultiModal Health will continue to explore options for their pioneering product.
Learn more about MultiModal Health鈥檚 journey on their , check out an and read our original story below.
Changing how rehab is measured and delivered
After winning the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering鈥檚 Tech Sandbox Competition, four students are collaborating with partners across the UW to get their innovative project out of the lab and into the lives of stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.
We鈥檝e seen therapists鈥� eyes light up and heard them say, 鈥榃hen can we have this? When can we try this with our patients?鈥� That has been validating and rewarding. 聽– Brian Mogen, Ph.D. student in bioengineering and part of the team behind vHAB
What is the Tech Sandbox?
The CSNE鈥檚 Tech Sandbox Competition, now known as the Neural Engineering Tech Studio, provides a unique and unparalleled opportunity for UW students. Spanning one academic quarter, teams tirelessly work to assemble a prototype demonstrating concepts of sensorimotor neural engineering. 鈥淲e want students to have authentic experiences in translational engineering 鈥� taking a product from idea to prototype,鈥� says Dr. Lise Johnson, education manager for the center and a researcher in the UW鈥檚 Department of Neurological Surgery. 鈥淭he ultimate goal is to help students develop skills and connections that will serve them long after graduation.鈥�
Completing a challenging level in a video game can feel truly satisfying. Whether a tough 鈥渂oss鈥� is defeated or a racecourse is conquered, that sense of accomplishment pushes players to take on the next level of the game. To patients undergoing stroke and traumatic injury rehabilitation, this motivation, combined with the immersive aspect of virtual reality, could also serve as encouragement during a long and slow recovery process.
Since January, UW students Tyler Libey, Brian Mogen and Dimitrios Gklezakos and Technology Commercialization fellow Lars Crawford have worked to make this idea a reality. The students are the team behind vHAB, or 鈥渧irtual rehabilitation,鈥� a device featuring a series of video games that double as rehabilitative exercises.
vHAB began as an entry in the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering鈥檚 (CSNE) 2014 Tech Sandbox Competition. Tyler and Brian, doctoral students in bioengineering, had joined forces with Lars, then an undergraduate studying neurobiology, to create a working neural engineering prototype. With experience in motion-sensing technology already under their belts, the team decided to put their skills to the test by fashioning a device that could help people with muscle disorders or injuries.
After seeking guidance from Dr. Jared Olson, who specializes in rehabilitation medicine at Harborview Medical Center, Tyler and Brian shadowed physicians as they worked with stroke patients. Witnessing the struggles these patients experienced, the team was inspired to turn their technology into something that could help make the recovery process much easier.
Using an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and a Leap Motion device 鈥� which detects and measures hand movements 鈥� the team developed a series of games emulating the therapy tasks they observed at Harborview. One game requires players to place ingredients on a pizza, while another has them brush a giant鈥檚 teeth. As each level is completed, the tasks increase in difficulty, all while motivating patients by tracking how far they have come in improving muscle movement.
Since taking first place in the Tech Sandbox Competition, the team has fervently worked to make their project a reality. With an eventual goal of having vHAB prescribed to patients, the team is focused on securing funding for their first patient study. The staff at the UW鈥檚 CoMotion has been guiding them through the process of pitching to investors and marketing their product. Both during and after the Tech Sandbox, the C4C has provided substantial help and encouragement. 鈥淓veryone we鈥檝e met through the C4C continues to be contacts, which has been really important,鈥� says Tyler. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been able to see our trajectory, and I think it makes them excited because they were in on the ground floor of it.鈥�
The team has begun presenting vHAB to therapists, and the initial results were nothing short of encouraging. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen their eyes light up and they say, 鈥榃hen can we have this? I can鈥檛 wait for people to use this,鈥欌�� says Brian proudly. 鈥淲e actually have the opportunity to help a lot of people,鈥� adds Lars. 鈥淭here are so many that could benefit from something like this.鈥�