Walk better… walk more

A discreet wearable device offering both smart cueing and accurate gait data, initially for People with Parkinson's

Activity is key to delaying disease progression in Parkinson's

Parkinson's is the fastest growing progressive neurological disorder in the world, which gets worse over time. It is proven that an active lifestyle helps reduce discomfort from pain and other symptoms that affect mobility and is key to slowing disease progression. It is common for People with Parkinson's to lose gait control resulting in increased risk of falling, loss of confidence and overall reduced activity levels.

Freezing

Loss of gait control or otherwise known as freezing is the most debilitating aspect of Parkinson's. Many people describe it as like their feet are "glued to the floor" unable to move forward for several seconds or even minutes. Falls from freezing episodes can result in serious injuries and the fear of falling in most cases cause anxiety and stress, leading to a significant drop in levels of activity, loss of confidence and isolation.

Lack of gait data

Early signs of Parkinson's are wide-ranging and can be difficult to detect. Evidence such as subtle gait abnormalities or a change in activity level is often missed until the problem becomes more severe as the condition progresses.

Smart cueing

gaitQ's system is a smart cueing wearable device that eliminates the need for constant manual adjustment by delivering the right cue to the right place at the right time. The cueing pattern and pace adapts to each individual, helping to maintain a more fluid and stable gait.

gaitQ portal

Accurate data collection and gait analysis by gaitQ's proprietary software can help medical professionals spot critical points in the disease's progression. The data can then be used to personalise exercise programmes and improve treatment protocols on a patient-by-patient basis.

About us

gaitQ's strength is in its multidisciplinary approach to solving the problem of gait freezing. By combining our expertise in engineering, biomechanical engineering and medicine we can be sure that our solution is uniquely effective. From the very beginning, our approach has also been patient-led, ensuring that the product's design meets the user's needs first and foremost.

Benefiting other conditions

Our mission is to offer a personalised cueing solution and help People with Parkinson's walk better and walk more. Cueing is a proven and effective treatment for gait freezing in Parkinson's as well as for other neurological conditions. The broad range of possible applications makes the gaitQ system a go-to solution that can easily be adapted to help more patients with neurological challenges walk better and walk more.

Our journey

gaitQ was founded in 2019 by three Oxford academics whose cutting-edge approach to the problem of gait loss in Parkinson's secured them a number of awards and grants. From the very beginning, the design of the gaitQ system was driven by the needs of People with Parkinson's and the healthcare professionals who work with them. Bringing together their expertise in engineering and biomechanics, the team has produced an award-winning prototype to reduce the loss of gait control in People with Parkinson's and potentially other neurological conditions.