In 2018, Tom Finn took his father, Nigel, to a physiotherapy appointment. Nigel was living with vascular dementia, which can present symptoms similar to Parkinson’s, a progressive neurological disorder characterized by tremors, rigidity and balance problems. He was losing the ability to walk.
The physiotherapist told him about “markers”, colored lines placed on the floor that can help Parkinson’s patients overcome their walking difficulties. Finn wasn’t so convinced; He didn’t understand how simple marks on the ground could help his father; When he got home, he placed some colored exercise bands in the kitchen and watched in amazement as his father ran them with ease.
A “divine sign”
“External signaling” works by using visual, auditory or tactile cues – colored tapes on the floor, a metronome or physical vibrations – to activate neural pathways not affected by the disease. “It can support people in focusing their attention and help them take that first step and overcome the block,” says Claire Bale, associate director of research at Parkinson’s UK, a UK non-profit research and support organisation.
Although Finn works in marketing and video production in London, was impressed by the effectiveness of this simple tactic, he thought it was too basic to be useful. At the time, augmented reality glasses from brands like Magic Leap were starting to be marketed, and Finn wondered if they could project virtual lines on the ground to serve as a guide. With that vision in mind, he founded the startup Stroll.
“Two years later, Stroll had about £50 in the bank and no staff,” recalls Ellis, a New Zealander with experience in startups of furniture who had arrived in the United Kingdom in search of his next company. His grandfather had lived with Parkinson’s for more than a decade, and when he met Finn through a mutual contact, he immediately saw the promise of the business. He joined the company as CEO and sought to prove that “AR-based signals were scientifically valid.” Ellis and Finn soon found a group of academics at VU University in Amsterdam, led by Melvyn Roerdink, who were working on something similar. Stroll acquired the intellectual property registration and, with Roerdink as chief innovation officer, developed and tested the technology, now called Reality DTx.
Scientists study the progress of the first clinical trial of transplanting neurons obtained from stem cells for people with Parkinson’s.
Stroll’s business
Instead of physical bands like Finn used, he software The company’s augmented reality simulates colored lines on the ground in front of the user, and each line disappears as the user moves away from it. A clinical trial, supported by Stroll, confirmed that the signaling technology was viable and obtained promising results. At a time of shortage of physical therapists, it could also help with rehabilitation exercises.
He software includes augmented reality games like whack-a-mole and basketball, but designed around functional movements that help people with Parkinson’s. Mark Ross, a man who was diagnosed with the disorder eight years ago at the age of 36 and who now heads Stroll’s creative and brand strategy, says these games can help overcome apathy and depression, which are also Parkinson’s symptoms. “Knowing that you have to exercise won’t make you get out of your chair, gamification makes the exercises much more attractive.
The Magic Leap lenses that the software They cost 3,000 euros (about $3,800) and Stroll charges more than 300 euros (about $315) a month for his services, but Ellis maintains that it is more profitable than 30 half-hour sessions with the physical therapist. Ultimately, the company’s goal is to become the “world’s most used rehabilitation system.” They even have a specific deadline in mind: 7 million minutes of rehabilitation with the Stroll device in one week until December 31, 2029. By then, Ellis hopes his service can be used for all types of neurological conditions; from stroke, the loss of blood flow to part of the brain, to multiple sclerosis. “There is almost unlimited opportunity,” he concludes.
Article originally published in WIRED UK. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
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