Mexican entrepreneur creates bracelet to combat “freezing” in people with Parkinson’s

Since he was a child, Rodrigo Molina wanted to help people in some way, especially when in difficult times such as a disabling illness, so he decided to study industrial design to positively impact people’s lives. Although at first he did not know what area to specialize in, today he is fulfilling his mission with his bracelet Hike Onfocused on combating freezing in Parkinson’s patients.

“When I was in college, I had to do my social service at the Neurology Institute where I met many people with Parkinson’s, there I knew I would find a way to help them in their daily lives,” he said in an interview with El Economista.

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by body tremor, muscle stiffness, slow movements, deterioration in posture, changes in speech, writing, and loss of automatic movements that will progressively reduce the quality of life from the patients.

One of the biggest problems, besides body tremor, is the “freezing” in gait, the inability to walk due to muscle stiffness that makes people feel as if their feet are sticking to the ground, which increases the risk of falls and fracturesBesides, it disables them.

Given this, Rodrigo thought of creating a tool that allows the person to “unfreeze” and that is how he created Hike On, a bracelet that through vibrations allows the patient walk better.

“Patients walk with the rhythm of vibrations, they work like a traffic light. When the bracelet turns on, you must take a step and when it turns off, stop, all through a rhythm. In this way, the vibration is associated with the movement and the brain gets used to making the movement and thus coming out of the freeze”.

The bracelet

To make the bracelet, Rodrigo allied himself with José Vázquez, a mechatronics engineer, with whom he defined the system, design and the way it would work. Of three people who started the project, today they are 10 working so that more people with this disease have a better quality of life. The Institute of Neurology also supported them in the development of the system

Rodrigo explained that when a person uses the bracelet, it takes approximately one week so that you see results and become aware of the vibrations, although sometimes, the effects are seen from the five minutes of use.

“In most cases, the patient does not realize the changes in their condition, those who report it to us the most are the relatives or caregivers, who have seen how they improve and also, they say, it helps them reduce other problems. such as stiffness, posture, and slowness of movement. There has even been a lower incidence of depression, anxiety, smell and salivation problems. We continue to study that to get to know him better.”

To start the project, the three initial partners invested their own resources and credits, but now they are looking for investment funds to continue promoting the bracelet so that it reaches people throughout the country. So far, Hike On is being tested with 40 people from different states, who are given the product for a month and are monitored for effects.

eAwards

For the innovation of the project, Hike On was the winner of the entrepreneurship awards eAwards de NTT DATA, where they obtained a cash prize that would allow them to continue with the investigation and present it to the corresponding authorities in order to produce the bracelet, since one of the challenges they have experienced in terms of growth is the lack of concrete investigation.

“An in-depth, solid investigation is required, which is time-consuming and very expensive, we did not have how to finance it but with the award we will be able to do it because that alone stopped us. If we finish it and continue with a favorable rhythm, it could be that for 2025 the bracelet is marketed”.

They will also represent Mexico in the world final of the eAwards Awards the following year.