Introduction

Across Europe, economic and demographic developments pose new challenges in health related issues: a general tendency to prioritize on health and safety, the strong increase in welfare-related diseases and the increased need for (home) care for the ageing population are causing health care costs to increase rapidly, Innovative solutions are necessary to meet these challenges and to avoid health care becoming unaffordable.

In this Interreg IV-C project Innovation 4 Welfare five European partner regions will try to exchange best practices, develop new innovation projects and influence regional policies by stimulating innovation in the field of health and safety (‘welfare’).

Mechatronics based Rehabilitation at Home (MRH)

With the leadership of Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Eindhoven (NL) the MRH project aims to develop a ‘white book’ on the different aspects of rehabilitation at home based on mechatronics. The input for this white book will be obtained by consultation and by own research, and will be made available for regional policymakers, companies and authorities providing health and social care.

Main objective

To compose a ‘white book’ on the different aspects of mechatronics based rehabilitation at home.

Activities

The MRH project will focus on five main issues:
1. The present developments in rehabilitation
2. The success factors of a MRH application
3. The business opportunities for a MRH application
4. The design and development of MRH applications
5. The steps to be taken to make MRH applications a success

At least five pilot applications will be developed to demonstrate the results of the studies. The results will be presented and discussed at five international meetings. The overall results will be used to compose a ‘white book’ on the MRH concept.

Lead participant

• Fontys University of Applied Sciences (School of Engineering, Mechatronics Department) - North Brabant (NL)

Participants

• Technical University of Catalonia-Industrial Equipment Design Center (CDEI-UPC) – Catalonia (ES)
• University of Brescia (Laboratory of Mechatronics, Faculty of Engineering) – Lombardy (I)
• University of West Bohemia (Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Cybernetics) - South West Bohemia (CZ)
• Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences Research & Development – Upper Austria (AT)

Companies & Institutions

• FOCAL Meditech B.V. – North Brabant (NL)
• Fitland - North Brabant (NL)
• Zuidzorg Foundation - North Brabant (NL)
• Privamed Inc. – South West Bohemia (CZ)

More information about the project can be found under the heading 'General Info'.