The 'Upsee' Helps Disabled Children Experience What It's Like to Walk
Rahul Kalvapalle — March 30, 2014 — Tech
References: fireflyfriends & dailymail
The 'Upsee' is a harness that helps disabled children experience the sensation of walking by attaching them to their parents' bodies. The harness was invented by Israel-born Debby Elnatan to help her young son Rotem who suffers from cerebral palsy. However, it has since taken a big step forward by being launched into the international market.
Elnatan designed a support harness that would enable her son to stand upright. By attaching the harness to herself, she was able to take steps together with her son. This prompted her to search for a company to mass-produce her invention; she settled on Northern Ireland-based Leckey, known for making equipment for children with special needs.
The Upsee was trialed with families in the U.K., U.S. and Canada before being launched globally.
"It is wonderful to see this product available to families across the world," said Elnatan at the official unveiling of the Upsee.
Elnatan designed a support harness that would enable her son to stand upright. By attaching the harness to herself, she was able to take steps together with her son. This prompted her to search for a company to mass-produce her invention; she settled on Northern Ireland-based Leckey, known for making equipment for children with special needs.
The Upsee was trialed with families in the U.K., U.S. and Canada before being launched globally.
"It is wonderful to see this product available to families across the world," said Elnatan at the official unveiling of the Upsee.
Trend Themes
1. Assistive Mobility Technology - The 'Upsee' harness highlights the increasing demand for assistive mobility technology for children with disabilities, presenting opportunities for innovation and growth in the industry.
2. Parent-child Interaction Aids - The 'Upsee' harness presents a budding trend in creating aids that foster parent-child interaction, with potential demand in the market for more innovative solutions to encourage physical activity between parent and child.
3. Global Accessibility Products - The 'Upsee' harness demonstrates the increasing necessity for accessible products on a global scale, highlighting potential for new disruptive innovations in creating accessibility products for people with mobility difficulties in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Medical Devices - The 'Upsee' harness represents a significant growth opportunity for the medical devices industry in developing more mobility devices and technologies to improve the quality of life for disabled individuals worldwide.
2. Pediatric Healthcare - The 'Upsee' harness highlights a potential trend in the pediatric healthcare industry towards creating innovative solutions that enhance the physical activity and development of children with disabilities.
3. Outdoor Recreation Industries - The 'Upsee' harness presents opportunities for innovation in the outdoor recreation industry, as creators may develop products to increase accessibility for outdoor activities for people with mobility difficulties.
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