Tech demonstrates its greatest potential when various technological fields converge to address complex social problems. An example is injuries caused by war.
In the US, 1,558 military personnel lost a limb due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
By comparison, Olha Rudneva, the head of the Superhumans Center for rehabilitating Ukrainian military amputees, estimates that a staggering 20,000 Ukrainians have allegedly had at least one amputation since the invasion of Russia.
BetterMe is a Ukrainian health and wellness platform with over 150 million users globally. Its partnering with Esper Bionics, a manufacturer of bionic prostheses, and Future for Ukraine, a charitable foundation that provides prosthetics for Ukrainian military abroad, developing Limb Loss Workouts within the BetterMe: Health Coaching app.
These digital Limb Loss Workouts are created by certified physical therapists, offering amputees 24/7 access to physical activity. They help amputees regain optimal limb functionality and prepare for the prosthetic process.
The app provides 200 targeted training workshops for upper and lower limb loss. Each workout video features five amputees with different prostheses demonstrating every move.
According to Danylo Intelegator, a rehabilitation doctor and specialist in physical therapy and prosthetics and the rehabilitation of upper and lower limb amputations:
"Effective physical exercises are crucial for amputees to achieve successful rehabilitation, maintain their overall health, and develop mobility.
These exercises prepare amputees for using prosthetics, helping them regain muscle sensitivity, coordination, and more.
Additionally, individuals who already use a prosthesis can benefit from these exercises to maintain muscle activity even after receiving a prosthetic limb."
The collaboration with Esper Bionics is exciting. The company has headquarters in New York, with R&D and manufacturing offices in Ukraine and Germany.
The company has developed the award-winning Esper Hand, an FDA-registered bionic self-learning hand prosthesis that automatically customizes its functionality to each user's habits and lifestyle. It uses machine learning algorithms to learn user behaviour, predict the intended movements, and intuitively change grips.
Esper Control, a wearable brain-computer interface and cloud-based software, complements the bionic hand.
Furthermore, the company has developed a charitable arm, Esper for Ukraine, to help Ukrainians get multifunctional hand prostheses for free.
The Limb Loss Workouts is available in the BetterMe app on iOS and Android.
BetterMe offers amputees worldwide an 80% discount on the regular price. Profit from the subscription fee will go to Esper for Ukraine.
Lead image: via BetterMe. Photo: Uncredited.
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