Alessandro Luchetti

Our solution is a collaborative robotic walker designed to aid individuals with severe neurocognitive and/or functional impairments regain the ability to walk. It serves as both a mobility aid and a rehabilitation tool, combining the safety, stability, and practicality with the advanced capability to monitor and control the phases of the gait cycle. The startup name, "NovaWalk," emphasizes the innovative design and advanced control system that make our walker unique. Unlike invasive orthotic devices, this walker does not replace the user’s movements but responds to their stimuli by understanding their intentions and supporting their walking phases. The walker operates in real-time, making decisions based on its perceptions, creating a continuous flow of information and interaction between the walker and the user through a distributed sensor network. We successfully tested the first prototype with children affected by Rett syndrome in collaboration with AIRETT Onlus. Currently, we are refining a second prototype in collaboration with national organizations like ANFFAS, ABILNOVA, Lega del Filo d’Oro, and Associazione Parkinson, aiming to evaluate the walker across a wider range of disabilities. Preliminary tests with users have already yielded excellent results, with very positive feedback. We have submitted two patents, which are currently under evaluation.