Myomo is a US based medical device company that manufactures neuro-robotic technology which restores independence to individuals suffering from debilitating muscle weakness resulting from brain injury.
Using technology originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with Harvard Medical School; Myomo developed a revolutionary product called the mPower 1000. This award winning neuro-robotic portable arm brace enables individuals to self-initiate and control movement of partially paralyzed limbs using their own biological signals.
THE PROBLEM AND THE FOLIO3 SOLUTION
Myomo wanted to provide an affordable, easy to use and widely available platform with the mPower 1000. A platform that would allow therapists to test and monitor the patient’s use of the mPower unit. As the traditional method of interfacing with robotic hardware (via a wired connection with a PC) is cumbersome and restrictive, Myomo wanted to leverage the Bluetooth feature of Android smartphones to wirelessly control and configure the mPower 1000; in order to provide the patient and therapist with a much simpler, more flexible and portable system.
Given the complex nature of the task, Myomo wanted to partner with a highly experienced and reputable vendor to help it develop this platform. Myomo chose to partner with Folio3 for this project, due to Folio3’s experience in developing mobile apps, expertise in enterprise systems and its reputation for delivering high quality solutions.
Based on Myomo’s requirements and specifications, Folio3 developed two unique Android apps for the mPower 1000. The first app was “Remote Control”, a native Android app which allows therapists to wirelessly connect with and configure the parameters of the mPower unit (such as Range of Motion, Assistance Levels, Mode and Biceps and Triceps Movement Configuration) in real-time.
The second was an app called “MyProgress”, a native Android app which allows therapists to track and measure the patient’s progress while using the mPower 1000 in real-time, via metrics such as Range of Motion, Speed and Extension of Flex, Travel and Movement.
Thanks to the high usability and detailed analytics provided by Folio3’s developed apps, the mPower 1000 has been widely hailed as the device that has helped re-set the boundaries for rehabilitation therapy and won Myomo, the “2011 Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council Product of the Year” Award.
TECHNOLOGY USED
The technologies used in the above apps’ development were Robotium and JUnit, with Bluetooth as the interfacing methodology, via a proprietary communications protocol.
The Myomo “Remote Control” and “MyProgress” mobile apps took approximately 7 months to develop, using the JUnit test driven development methodology and a dedicated team of three resources (a developer, a Quality Assurance Analyst and Project Manager).
