Melting Shoes

People with Parkinson's desease can be subject to Freezing of Gait episodes. During this kind of episode which can happen spontaneously, patients are not able to start or resume a normal gait. Concerned people have their mobility and autonomy reduced, which can restrict their activities, or even make them to isolate themself.

The aim of the Melting Shoes is to help those patients. The Melting Shoes are connected via bluetooth to an Android application. The shoes are equipped with sensor hidden in the sole, which transmits data to the application. Thanks to those data and an artificial intelligence, the application is able to detect Freezing of Gait episodes.

In addition, the application can emit stimulus when detecting a Freezing of Gait, in order to unfreeze the patient and allow him to recover a normal gait. This stimulus is customizable with the application. The collected data provide an enhanced medical follow-up for doctors.

The Melting Shoes are equipped with sensors allowing the detection of Freezing of Gait. The shoes are connected via bluetooth to an Android application, which analyzes data perceived by the sensors. If a Freezing of Gait is detected, the application starts to emit a sound stimulus, customizable by the user.

Data are stored within the application and the Freezing of Gait episodes are annotated, which facilitates the medical follow-up of concerned patients. In addition, our solution provides a way to unfreeze without any external help, increasing mobility and autonomy.

Melting Shoes is a project achieved by 8 students of Informatics department of Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Rennes, in partnership with Pôle Saint-Hélier de Rennes and Parade of ERAM group. Supervisors of this project are Jean-Louis Pazat and Marie Babel, INSA's professors. Our correspondent in Pôle Saint-Hélier is Émilie Leblong, doctor in physical reeducation, and our contact in Parade, our connected shoes provider, is Vincent Quere.