HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-STAYHLTH-01: EXO-RA SmartHand – Personalised Rehabilitation and Independent Living

EXO-RA SmartHand: Personalised Assistive Rehabilitation and Independent Living

Organisation: Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), Ecuador

Target call: HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-STAYHLTH-01 – Addressing disabilities through the life course to support independent living and inclusion.

Research Focus

ESPOCH is seeking to join a European-led Horizon Europe consortium addressing disability, functional independence, personalised rehabilitation and community inclusion.

Our proposed contribution combines clinical expertise in rheumatology and musculoskeletal disorders with the emerging EXO-RA SmartHand assistive technology concept.

The collaboration would explore how wearable hand assistance, personalised rehabilitation strategies and patient-centred care pathways could help improve functional capabilities, participation in daily activities and independent living among people with long-term musculoskeletal impairments.

Proposed Research Areas

1. Functional disability and clinical assessment

Assessment of hand impairment, functional limitations, activities of daily living, quality of life and rehabilitation needs in people with rheumatoid arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.

2. Personalised rehabilitation and assistive technologies

Exploration of user-centred wearable hand assistance, adaptive rehabilitation approaches, usability, safety and functional outcome measurement, subject to technological feasibility and appropriate clinical validation.

3. Healthy ageing and independent living

Investigation of how personalised rehabilitation strategies and assistive solutions may contribute to maintaining autonomy and participation among older adults living with chronic musculoskeletal disability.

4. Community-based inclusion and accessible care

Exploration of affordable, accessible and person-centred rehabilitation pathways, particularly for underserved populations and settings with limited access to specialised rehabilitation services.

Potential Contributions from ESPOCH

• Clinical expertise in rheumatoid arthritis, chronic musculoskeletal diseases, disability assessment and functional rehabilitation needs.

• Experience in epidemiological and community-based research in Chimborazo Province, Ecuador.

• Access to potential clinical research settings and populations for feasibility assessment and future validation, subject to institutional and ethical authorisations.

• Participation in patient-centred research, rehabilitation outcome evaluation, clinical interpretation and health equity analysis.

• An emerging technological development concept, EXO-RA SmartHand, which could be explored for collaborative development subject to intellectual property agreements.

Partners and Expertise Sought

We are seeking an established Horizon Europe consortium or eligible European coordinator with expertise in:

• Rehabilitation engineering, wearable robotics and assistive technologies.

• Biomechanics, human-machine interaction and adaptive control.

• Rehabilitation medicine, occupational therapy and functional assessment.

• Artificial intelligence for personalised rehabilitation.

• Disability research, social sciences and health services innovation.

• Organisations representing persons with disabilities and patient communities.

• Clinical validation, accessibility, implementation science and health technology assessment.

Expected Collaboration

ESPOCH is interested in participating as an international clinical and academic research partner, contributing to clinical needs assessment, patient engagement, rehabilitation research, functional outcome evaluation and potential validation of innovative assistive technologies.

We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary projects integrating technological innovation with accessible rehabilitation services, user participation and measurable improvements in independence and quality of life.

The maturity, ownership and potential integration of EXO-RA SmartHand technology would be assessed through appropriate scientific, institutional and intellectual property arrangements.

Clinical studies, recruitment capacity, technological responsibilities, data access and budget commitments would be jointly defined following feasibility assessment and the necessary authorisations.

Contact

Dr. Urbano Solis Cartas
Rheumatologist and Coordinator of the Medicine Degree Programme
Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH)
Riobamba, Ecuador

We welcome collaboration with European universities, research institutes, rehabilitation centres, healthcare providers, engineering teams and disability organisations preparing proposals for Horizon Europe Health 2027.