IMAGINE YOU’RE

WALKING

Now imagine you’re suddenly stuck to the floor. Your brain won’t let you take another step. For over 10 million people living with Parkinson’s disease, this is called Freeze of Gate (FoG). It’s a brief, episodic absence of forward progress—despite the intention to walk.

GOOD NEWS

FoG is acutely particular to each patient, but it is predictable with the right data.

So we devised a data platform coupled with a unique insert that will sense the onset of an episode, and gives the patient a quick vibration in their sole. This vibration is often all that is needed to change your brain’s intention, to snap out of it before a freeze episode comes.

SELLING

THE VISION

The scenes following video didn’t actually happen—yet. I wrote it to sell the concept to Tommy Hilfiger executives. It worked. The current status of this project is in R&D. A select group of patients and non-patients have begun using the app to collect data and model what “normal” gait looks like, and what a “pre-freeze” gait looks like.

FURTHER STEPS

When our data can predict a FoG episode, we can send a vibration to not only the sole, but to other parts of the body, ensuring the signals are felt loud and clear by the patient’s brain. Fortunately, Tommy Hilfiger knows how to do clothing, ensuring these devices won’t be bulky, cumbersome or embarrassing.

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