AI-controlled adaptive fitting device for prosthetics and wearable technologies

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**"Human body changes shape, but prosthetic sockets don't."**Our bodies are approximately 1.5 cm shorter in the evening, compared to morning. Our feet and hands are larger in the evening. Most of us don't notice these changes because we wear flexible clothes.However, if you lose a leg, you must wear a prosthetic limb attached to your body with a rigid U-shaped structure called a _socket_. Sockets are made of hard plastics to carry the bodyweight and hand-made to ensure the best custom fit by following the stump's contour. However, 75% of amputees are unhappy because the stump changes shape on an hourly basis while their custom-made rigid sockets don't. This leads to constant skin rubbing causing painful bleeding wounds and ulcers. Replacing sockets up to 4 times annually for the rest of amputees' lives is currently the best solution costing £7.1billion of public money in the UK, EU and US each year (Excluding cost of wound care: £2.4billion in the UK alone(UK-Government/APPG;2019)).Amputees need a confident and productive life unhindered by their condition, like able-bodied. Therefore, Imperial College London, MTC and Unhindr developed Roliner to make lives of millions independent.**What:** Roliner is a sleeve-like device worn on the stump before putting the prosthetic limb on.**How:** Roliner uses Artificial Intelligence to understand the hourly/daily changes in the stump and adapts to them. Roliner's AI reads real-time sensors' data between the stump and socket, learns amputees' comfort preferences via an app, and seamlessly and continuously adjust the fitting by inflating/deflating Roliner's micro-channels.**Impact:** Prosthetic limb fitting is the biggest barrier for amputees to maintain their daily activities. Amputees live dependent on fitting clinics, and therefore, within the first year of amputation, 1 in 6 amputees lose their jobs. 44.3% working-age amputees are economically inactive, costing £4.89billion in productivity loss(PapworthTrust,2016). Roliner's AI mimicking the clinical practice and providing able-bodied-like walking experience will reduce productivity loss, hospital dependency, and potentially save the NHS £1billion in socket adjustments, £2.4billion in socket wounds.Due to reduced quality-of life and activity, amputees rapidly lose muscles. The probability of an amputee walking with a prosthetic leg more than 500metres a day is 74% at age 35; while only 34% at age 60, becoming almost wheelchair-bound(Source:Geertzen,Jan et.al;2005-Claimed-walking-distance-of-lower-limb amputees.-Disability-and-rehabilitation). With first-of-its-kind seamless AI-adaptation, Roliner could increase walking performance x3 times, providing able-body-like walking experience. Reducing socket-induced wounds reduces risk of infection, increases mobility, which reduces muscle loss.