MetaGait: EIF grantee QaylTech creates innovative equipment for rehabilitation therapy
The advance of Armenia’s high-tech industry continues with the release of MetaGait – a new innovative product by QaylTech, a winner of the Regional matching grant (RMG) program, implemented by Enterprise Incubator Foundation with the assistance of the RA Government and the World Bank.
The MetaGait exercise equipment is designed for rehabilitation therapy of patients with neurodegenerative diseases (craniocerebral injury, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, etc.). The concept of the product combines treatment and motivation, explains Davit Arsenyan, QaylTech’s Founder.
“Our team has worked extensively with patients with neurodegenerative diseases while developing MetaGait. We see that these people are often isolated in the community, and it’s a big hindrance to the rehabilitation process. We wanted to create a product that would provide an entertaining environment and opportunities for communication,” he said.
MetaGait enables users to do a set of rehabilitating exercises, during which the muscles and joints of the lower extremities get passive work-out with the help of the walking stimulator, and the upper extremities get active work-out with the shoulder girdle. At the same time, the equipment trains the muscles of abdomen and back, as well as the torso and pelvis turn.
According to Davit Arsenyan, it makes MetaGait one of the most effective devices for lower limb mechanotherapy.
The new equipment is powered by innovative technology. MetaGait provides remote neurorehabilitation, allowing not only to count and record the patient’s steps, the distance covered, and the calories burned, but also to combine treatment with virtual reality games, team building among players, and virtual reality travel. This promotes the regeneration of nerve centers in the CNS and the formation of new centers and nerve connections.
“The VR device has attached QaylTech panels, angle sensors made by our company as well, control systems, and VR glasses with its panels. All control panels used in MetaGait were designed under the EIF grant program,” noted Davit Arsenyan.
QaylTech applied for the grant to seize the opportunity to achieve its main goal – improving the quality of life for thousands of people. “We want to revolutionize rehabilitation worldwide,” underlined Davit. The startup’s program qualified for RMG, and the received funds substantially pushed QaylTech forward. The startup paid salaries to the employees, purchased new parts and items required for further research and production, and developed the existing equipment. In particular, the grant helped improve the exoskeleton and design the new, innovative equipment.
QaylTech has big plans for the next 12 months. “We aim to take MetaGait to the international market,” said Davit Arsenyan, “Another objective is to expand the possibilities of rehabilitation treatment through virtual reality.”
EIF is excited to see the rise of QaylTech and the way it invested the RMG grant into innovation, particularly in such a vital field as healthcare. Gradually, Armenia is taking confident steps toward becoming a producer of high-quality technological products. EIF follows the success of its grantees and wishes new achievements to the QaylTech team!