Parkinson is a very divers disease that has a lot of impact on people’s daily life and surroundings. After some time, most people diagnosed with Parkinson need some kind of assistance, either through medication, products or services. The APPS project (Activating Parkinson Patients with Sensors) focusses on designing a wearable that is able to assist these people in their day to day life.

What is the goal?

The goal of this project was to find common symptoms within most to all Parkinson patients, so the product would fit to most of the target audience’s needs.

Conclusion of the research

The conclusion of the research was that the intensity of all symptoms are tied to the amount of rest and stress people have. A possible solution is the use of music and vibrations in the wearables. Here, the possible mental and physical health benefits are researched and looked at transferring it into a product. At the end of the project, there is the expectation to elaborate on the value of continuing this direction for future projects.

What next?

At the continuation of this project direction, teams will look at the impact and effects of music and vibrations and will develop and test these designs.

• Learn more via this poster presentation (pdf)

Students involved

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ENGINEERING

Jolien Lathouwers
Luc van der Burgh
Mike Theeuwen
Nadine Fikke
Siem Hendrikx
Teun de Ridder

Source: HAN, Nadine Fikke