Perpedes: ai-assisted therapy in stroke rehabilitation
Annually, about 360,000 Europeans need to follow mobility rehabilitation therapy due to stroke in order to fully or partially regain their mobility functions and return to actively participate in society, and this group is growing rapidly. Current neuro-rehabilitation devices present significant limitations to the recovery of patients, such as poor resemblance to anatomic movements, difficult entry into the device and high costs. As a result, mobility rehabilitation can hardly meet today´s expectations and leads to an increasing number of mobility impaired individuals, who have not only lost mobility but also a vital connection to society in the form of work, social activities and sports. 
schepp medtech from Graz, Austria, has designed PerPedes, a revolutionary robotic and end-effector-based neuro-rehabilitation device. In its patented and certified design (TÜV, CE) PerPedes applies common robotics technology to overcome the limitations of current systems. Current PerPedes version has been installed in clinics and daily therapy centres in Eurpe and China. To prepare PerPedes for the future, we need to (i) include a combination of new intelligent software and hardware features to support mobility rehabilitation therapy on a personalised level, (ii) prepare the mechatronics system for production, and (iii) optimise the data management system to facilitate patients and therapists. 
Main customers of PerPedes are rehabilitation centres and clinics offering mobility rehabilitation. Due to the growing incidence of stroke, annually up to 1 Million new patients are expected to start using these devices, creating a strong growth in demand. PerPedes will be distributed by a network of well-known medtech distributors to ensure successful sales. Successful commercial launch of PerPedes is expected to result in €11.3 Million of annual sales revenues and €4.7 Million of annual profits (ROI 5.7), as well as the creation of 22 new jobs by 2024.