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The Latvian company InnovoMotion has developed smart leggings with a precise sensor system that enables stroke patients to perform therapeutic exercises at home after which they receive feedback that is almost as reliable as in-person sessions, reports Labs of Latvia.
The origins of the idea date back to the time when company co-founder Pēteris Kozirevs was studying medical engineering and physics. As part of his Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, he was seeking ways in which to capture and analyse human movement digitally. After graduating, Kozirevs set the idea to one side for a while, until his friend—and now co-founder of the company—Romualds Petrovs encouraged him to turn this scientific experiment into a real product to help patients.
Right now, the core team consists of four people: the two co-founders, a physiotherapist, and an engineer. During the pre-commercialisation stage, they are working voluntarily, investing their knowledge and time reflecting their belief that this solution can significantly improve stroke patients’ quality of life, especially those who are relearning how to walk.
Displaying patient errors in a mobile app
The smart leggings developed by InnovoMotion combine medical engineering with modern motion analysis. Sensors embedded in the garment capture the patient’s leg movements and transmit the data to a smart device that analyses and displays it in a 3D environment. The app immediately reveals whether an exercise has been performed correctly or not, and whether the patient has unintentionally deviated from the correct posture. If it detects a mistake, a virtual avatar—referred to by the developers as a “little ghost”—appears on screen to demonstrate how the correct movement should look, where to turn, how high to lift the leg, and where adjustments are needed.
“The idea is very simple—patients are never left alone wondering if they are performing the exercise correctly. This is a safety net that allows people to exercise at home while still receiving high-quality feedback and maintaining motivation,” explains Kozirevs.
According to the developers, their goal is not to replace physiotherapists, but rather to ease their workload and make rehabilitation more accessible. In rehabilitation, while the presence of a specialist is invaluable, in reality physiotherapists are overloaded, as a consequence of which waiting lists are long, and patients often delay the start of rehabilitation.
This technology enables patients to start exercising sooner, while their physiotherapist can monitor progress remotely, adjust exercises, and modify the programme as and when necessary. This significantly increases the physiotherapist’s capacity, because they can follow multiple patients simultaneously without compromising quality or safety.
“It’s not our intention to replace physiotherapists. On the contrary—we want to help them treat more patients. For stroke patients, time is the most crucial factor. The sooner they start proper rehabilitation, the greater the chance of regaining movement. And that is exactly what we want to provide—speed, precision, and the ability for patients to work safely, even in situations where a physiotherapist is not physically present,” stresses Kozirevs.
Although various motion-monitoring tools are already available on the market, most are designed for yoga, fitness, or general health tracking as opposed to addressing the specific needs of stroke patients. InnovoMotion focuses specifically on leg functionality—one of the most important components of quality of life after a stroke—because it helps to restore mobility and independence, helping patients to move on their own rather instead of remaining bedridden.
Export-oriented innovation
As the company continues the process of product development and takes its next growth steps, it is actively taking advantage of the incubation support provided by the Daugavpils branch of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency. The team has received consultations, taken part in events, built contacts, and—with the help of incubation support—also secured innovation voucher funding for software development.
At present, the team is working on a second-generation product while simultaneously improving the app. It is using the Latvian market for testing and content adaptation, in close collaboration with physiotherapists, the National Rehabilitation Centre in Vaivari, and specialists from Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. Thus far, during the testing phase, feedback from physiotherapists has been very positive, with product improvements have been guided by their comments regarding exercises and functionality.
Although the product is still under development, the app is already the subject of growing international interest, which rehabilitation specialists from Estonia, Finland, and Sweden expressing their willingness to take part in testing.
InnovoMotion’s goal is to complete product development and obtain certification authorising usage. The team’s main focus is on exports and the European Union market, where certification in one country facilitates distribution in others.
