ReviMo

Designing smart mobility devices to enable individuals with disabilities to move independently within their homes, reducing caregiver strain.

Team Size:
3
Location:
United States
Founders:
Aleksandr Malashchenko, Kyra Chester-Paul
Program(s):

The Problem

ReviMo creates smart mobility devices to help people with disabilities take care of themselves independently and reduce the burden on their caregivers. According to the US Census Bureau report, about 5.2MM Americans require assistance to get in and out of bed. Caregivers are damaging their backs manually lifting disabled people from a bed, and about 65% of them experience lower back pain. This problem is exacerbated by an increasing shortage of home-care workers with more than 1MM new home-care workers needed in the U.S. by 2030. It is also a large problem on the institutional level. Nurse assistants in nursing homes and long-term care facilities spend about half of their work time on patient transfer and 60% of them report injuries. People with disabilities feel embarrassed asking someone to help every time they need to get out of bed and go to the toilet. This dependency causes mental problems and accompanying diseases associated with limited mobility.

The Solution

ReviMo is a smart mobility device that allows disabled individuals to move around a house and go to a toilet independently. ReviMo is designed specifically for people who currently cannot get out of bed without the assistance of a caregiver. ReviMo allows them to be independent and save money on long-term care. The key innovation of ReviMo is an automated seating mechanism with a remote control, that allows a disabled person to drive the device to a bed and sit on it without bothering a caregiver. The seat is designed to gently “scoop” a person from a bed without pinching or damaging their skin. The device can be used to lift a person out of or in a recliner chair or wheelchair. The wireless remote control can also be used by a caregiver to assist a disabled person if necessary. Free space under the seat allows one to use a regular toilet without the need to move from the device like in the case with a wheelchair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrgb1ydWM00&feature=youtu.be