SPRINT
Smart mobility devices
for
improved mobility
and
independent living
The problem
• Ageing
• Decrease of people between
20 and 64 years old
Population according
to age groups
The problem
• Elderly loose mobility, physical condition and
independency  increase of needed care
• Decrease of young people and healthy elderly
 less manpower in care
• Yearly 2 hrs more work for healthcare professionals
The problem
Ageing 
Neuropathy 
 balance capacities 
 frequency of falling 
 hip fractures, hospital
admittance and dependency
SPRINT Vision
• Improve mobility  independency and quality of life 
• More efficient health care by a shift from intramural to
extramural health care
• More efficient health care by patient-driven approach
SPRINT Mission
1. Interactive training programs and
devices to prevent falls
2. Interactive training programs and
devices for rehabilitation at home
3. Smart prostheses and orthoses,
patient-driven
Three research lines
Savings
In NL,140.000 elderly treated after a fall accident
Annual direct + indirect costs: 400 M€
With 30% decrease: 120 M€
Prosthetic care: 140 M€
intelligent prosthesis + telecare:  50 M€
Shortening hospital rehabilitation:  36 M€
Research and technology
• Learning process of motor control
• Device development
• Serious gaming for training
• Telemonitoring
• On-site tests
• Valorisation
Control technologies
representation
multi body dynamics
muscle properties
sensory input
adjustment and fitting
prosthetic dynamics
foot-knee interaction
terrain
CAREN
Audio
Video
Computer Generated 3D Environment
Motion
EMG
Force
Motion
Moments
of
Force
inverse
Motion
Dynamics &
Forces
forward
human body model
Theory
How do amputees learn?
Sensor technologies
• Myoelectric prosthesis often unused
• Motions after each other and not at
the same time; not functional
Patient-driven instead of
technology-driven
Training technologies
• Balance training
• Training at home
Rehabilition technologies
Vibrating Insoles
Stochastic vibration
• Threshold
• Signal
• Noise
Neuropathy   balance capacities   risk of falling 
 hip fractures, hospital admittance and dependency
Serious gaming
• Interface technologies to
implement serious gaming
• Smart, self-learning algorithms for
dynamic feedback
• User interfaces for telemonitoring
Telemonitoring
ICT
IT
• Algorithms for dynamic feedback
• User interfaces for telemonitoring
Smart prostheses / orthoses
Reflex leg
• Reflexive control, physiological motor control
• Controllable efficient actuator
Smart prostheses / orthoses
Improved fixation by osteo-integration
Smart wheelchairs
Wheeldrive project
1/40
1/24
Smart prostheses / orthoses
Implementation / valorisation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Industry
•
• Ambroise, Enschede
•
• AtosOrigin Consultancy, Utrecht
•
• aXion, Groningen
•
• Baat Engineering, Hengelo
•
• Demcon, Oldenzaal
•
• Durea, Drunen
•
• Eriks aandrijftechniek, Schoonhoven
•
• Evocare, Hengelo
•
• Gameship, Leeuwarden
Healthcare institutions
• Roessingh Rehabilitation, Enschede
• Rehabilitation Friesland,
Beetsterzwaag
• Rehabilitation Doorn
• St. Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen
•
IMDS, Roden
Indes, Enschede
Lode, Groningen
McRoberts, Den Haag
Meditas, Drachten
Motek Medical, Amsterdam
Motion Projects, Utrecht
NewCom, Opende
OIM Orthopedie, Assen
Otto Bock, Son en Breugel, Duderstadt (D)
Personal Space Technologies, Amsterdam
Pezy, Groningen
STT, Tolbert
Technologies88, Leeuwarden
Umaco, Groningen
Xsens, Enschede
Össur, Son en Breugel, Reyjavik (IJsland)
Grendel Games, Leeuwarden
In total 133 fte
Public research groups
Universities
• UMCG (including: Center for Rehabilitation, NeuroImaging Center,
departments of Orthopaedics, Biomedical Engineering, Human
Movement Sciences, Neurology, Medical Physiology, ENT
• RUG (Institute for Mathematics and Informatics, Departments of
Discrete Technology & Production Automation and Business & ICT.
• UT (Departments of Biomechanical Engineering, Biomedical
Signals & Systems, Design, Production and Management)
Private research groups
• Healthcare Innovation Forum
• INCAS3, Assen
• Gameship, Leeuwarden
• Roessingh RRD, Enschede
• Waag Society Amsterdam
Development chain
Research &
technology
Transfer
Industry
Care
providers
Implementation
Patient
Groups
Therapy
development
Strength of SPRINT:
Participation of all stages of the development chain
Social innovation
Research facilities
•
UMCG: CAREN virtual reality lab, Balance and motor lab, function lab for
studying upper extremity tasks, Work lab with computer controlled ergometers
and a wide treadmill, MTx Motion Tracker, Acti-Graph™ GT1M activity monitor,
DynaPort® Minimod system, VICON system, several AMTI force platforms, FScan
system.
•
Within the RuG is available: Linux cluster, Blue Gene/P supercomputer, data
operations centre, Reality Cube (Cave) virtual environment, Reality Theatre,
Humanoid robot for improving rehabilitation, MR-compatible EEG/EMG system
Brain Products, rTMS system MagStim Rapid2, MR/EEG/TMS.
•
Within the UT is available: Tribometers for skin–object interactions; confocal &
interference microscopy, Human performance VR lab, Robotics lab, Moven
system, TMSi measuring systems.
•
Gameship will contribute with: CAREN system, render farm, motion capture
studio (24 infrared cameras), fully digital video studio (6 HD cameras, 1 RED),
Pro Tools audio system, 50 workstations.
•
The Rehabilitation Centers also have different gait laboratories
Organisation
External Supervisory Board
Users Committee
SPRINT CoRE
Board of Directors
SPRINT Holding BV
Management team
Program Coordinator
Extramural Prevention
Program Coordinator
Protheses & Orthoses
Program Cordinator
Extramural Rehabilitation
Research project
Research project
Research project
Post-doc
PhD
Technicians/analysts
students
Post-doc
PhD
Technicians/analysts
students
Post-doc
PhD
Technicians/analysts
students
Organisation
Supervisory Board
• Prof. Lou de Leij (UMCG/RuG);
• Prof. Peter Veltink (MIRA-UT)
• Industrial representative
Board of directors
• Technical scientific leader (Prof. Bart Verkerke, UMCG/UT)
• Clinical scientific leader (Prof. Klaas Postema, UMCG)
• Managing directors (Dr. Ruud vd Bilt,RuG,
dr. Martijn Kuit, UT)
Management team
• Prof. Bert Otten (UMCG)
• Prof. Bart Koopman (UT)
• Prof. Hans Wortmann (RuG)
• Dr. Che Hsin Falkenstrom (OIM Orthopedics)
• Prof. Gert ter Horst (UMCG)
• Prof. Hans Rietman (RRD)
• Dr. Corry vd Sluis (UMCG)
.
Grants
• IAG (OIM Orthopedie)
• SNN (Exergaming)
• INCAS3 (Sensor & feedback for balance)
• SNN (SPRINT)
• STW Perspectief (SPRINT)
• Topsector Life Sciences & Health (IMDI)
• Erasmus Mundus Doctorate (SPRINT+)
SPRINT
Smart mobility devices for independent mobility