Lives Enhanced by Technology
Clever smartphone technology could change lives of millions with spinal cord injuries.
Five years ago, when he broke his back, Mike Brown did not anticipate being unable to walk would become a secondary problem to not knowing when to pee.
Knowing whether his bladder is full is a constant worry, one shared by millions with spinal cord injuries globally.
Brown says it fills his life with anxiety: “I’ve been in presentations and, on one occasion, speaking at my brother’s wedding, and suddenly realised I’ve wet myself.
“While this is embarrassing, it also carries real medical consequences like urinary tract infections, kidney infections and renal failure.”
So, what does this critical issue for people with spinal cord injuries have to do with smartphones? Or mobile networks? Or the Internet of Things?
Brown, along with Brendon Hale and urologist Dr Frank Kueppers, co-founded wearable health technology company, Uri-Go. The Callaghan Innovation awardwinning start-up is developing a wearable device that mounts in front of the bladder, senses the bladder state, and then communicates to a smart phone.
“We believe we’ve come up with a totally unique wearable, sensor solution,” says Hale. “The implications of this technology are huge for the 250,000-plus people who suffer spinal cord injuries annually. To put the size of the market in context, the adult diaper industry is projected to be worth $14 billion annually by 2021.”
Uri-Go was recently awarded a position in xone, Vodafone’s start-up accelerator and innovation lab. Vodafone xone head Lauren Merritt says xone’s mission is to take New Zealand’s best start-up ideas global.
“We help these companies get their products to market through funding, hands-on mentoring and technology development through our labs and networks teams. Ultimately, our aim is to enable these brilliant innovators to solve real human problems with smart technology solutions.”
Hale says: “Being able to learn about what technology innovations are coming directly from Vodafone and using it to our advantage is a huge benefit to us in a highly competitive wearables space. For example, the IoT (Internet of Things) information we’ve received so far has been really useful.
“At this stage the technology delivery for the device is likely to be a Bluetooth signal to a smartphone. But, for a rest home care market where you have a large number of users, for example, we may look at an NB-IoT solution.”
Vodafone IoT head Scott Pollard explains: “The Internet of Things is all about the transfer of data via SiMs placed in devices. The data is then accessed through easy-touse apps or software.”
“But we estimate that less than 1 per cent of all the things that could be connected are, often due to being geographically remote, underground, or even underwater. Vodafone is taking on this challenge through development of our Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) network, which enables connectivity in previously inaccessible places and also offers long battery life, which is well suited to wearable health devices.
“It’s inspiring to watch innovators like Mike and Brendon use the power of our mobile and IoT networks,” says Pollard, “to develop solutions that improve people’s health and transform their day-to-day lives.”
Brown says Uri-Go plans to do exactly that: “We have a very clear vision to change the lives of one million people within five years with this technology, and we’re well on target to reach that goal.”