🌍 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗔𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 🤝
From December 2nd to 6th, 2024, four doctoral candidates from the 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗔𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗦𝗖𝗔 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 had the privilege of visiting 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹, a partner in the SmartAnkle project. This research visit was an incredible opportunity to learn, share, and collaborate with medical professionals and patients, marking the first step in involving a user-centered approach for future designs. By gaining valuable insights from clinicians and patients themselves, this visit laid a crucial foundation for advancing solutions for next-generation ankle-foot orthoses.
We asked them about their experiences during the visit, and here’s what they shared:
𝗤𝟭: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹?
🗨️ “Speaking with two stroke survivors 10 years post-incident and getting to know their stories.”
🗨️ “Witnessing the dedication of medical professionals.”
🗨 “️Understanding the real challenges both patients and clinicians face throughout the rehabilitation process.”
𝗤𝟮: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵?
🗨 “It gave us a deep insight on the missing features of the commercially available devices.”
🗨️ “The feedback from the patients and the therapists helped us understand how to develop user-centered solutions while adhering to the clinical needs.”
🗨️ “It reinforced how, as engineers, we can sometimes become overly focused on complexity and innovation, losing sight of the importance of addressing the real needs of patients.”
🗨️ “It provided a broader perspective on how clinicians operate and the types of collaborations that could emerge in the future to advance our research.”
𝗤𝟯: 𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲?
🗨️ “Take every opportunity to connect with experts from related fields. Ask all your questions, even the simplest ones, and frame them in a way that resonates with their perspective. These interactions are where innovation begins!”
🗨️ “Witnessing the potential impact your research could have when done properly is a powerful motivator.”
🗨️ “Taste the local food, like the amazing cappellacci di zucca, panpepato.”
A big thank you to 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 and our host Dr. Sofia Straudi for their warm hospitality and for welcoming the SmartAnkle team! 🌟
What’s next for SmartAnkle? Stay tuned as we continue to explore new ways to bridge science and application for better mobility solutions. 🚀
