720118Smart Mobility (resubmission)ClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKAs life expectancy increases the prevalence of neurological and other chronic disorders is set to rise. Neurological conditions (e.g. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD)) already affect 10 million (15%) people in the UK, placing an increasing strain on health resources. Efficient treatment, monitoring and diagnosis of such conditions can have profund implications for health budgets as well as the patient. Measuring the pattern of how people walk – their gait, is vitally important for clinicians to i) assess the efficacy of treatment ii) monitor rehabilitation iii) diagnose neurological conditions. Yet, whilst an objective and reliable means of measurement is crucial, many clinicians either do not undertake gait assessment or resort to subjective, unreliable visual assessment due to the cost, complexity and inaccessibility of existing products. Accordingly, there is a need for a quick, reliable, easy-to-use movement analysis tool that can be used within local clinics or at patient’s homes. This prototype seeks to deliver such an application through the use of smartphone movement sensors (gyro, accelerometer). The prototype would build on a feasibility study (TSB, 2011) which established that such sensors were accurate enough to interpret fine movement patterns of individuals. WK thus seek to create a valid, inexpensive application which enables clinicians to accurately assess gait within local clinics/patient’s home. As well as bringing down the costs of measurement by two magnitudes (from circa £500 to £5 per patient), increased objective meaurement will improve the effectiveness of clinical treatment and rehabilitation strategies (with associated economic and social savings) and also has the potential to improve diagnosis. Risks of development have been minimised by the previous feasibility project and by the fact that WK has an established track record of delivering innovative mobile data gathering applications.