In Spain, 16% of the population has some type of mobility limitation. For this reason, healthcare centers have wheelchairs available for patients who, despite not habitually needing a wheelchair, require one to move more easily and quickly through large infrastructures such as hospitals. To facilitate this wheelchair loan system, the startup Sterna Innovation, specialized in the development of technological devices, has devised Wheely-go, sensors that are installed in these devices and allow them to be located in real time and check their availability, with a functioning similar to the Bicing system or electric scooters.
"Hospitals have a serious problem managing the return of these wheelchairs because, in such large and crowded centers, it is difficult to locate them in real time and prevent their loss," emphasizes the manager of Sterna Innovation, Rafel Pelach. With this self-service system, users can access the loan through an identification number that the user receives directly on their mobile phone, in addition to incorporating alarms to prevent their loss or theft and sensors to know their precise location at all times.
"In the medical field, many innovations focused on the patient are devised, but few are designed for caregivers or professionals," highlights Pelach. The goal is that, with this system, both caregivers and professionals can have wheelchairs quickly upon arrival at the hospital, without needing to waste time looking for them. In fact, this system was tested in a hospital in the Polish city of Olsztyn and, during the pilot test, not only were all the chairs returned by users, without any loss or theft being detected, but also, four wheelchairs incorporating the Wheely-go system managed to replace a dozen standard chairs.
In addition, these devices also incorporate screens so that patients can receive audible alarms and personalized messages, and have connectivity to send messages to the caregiver's or companion's phone. After the pilot test, the Polish center acquired this system, and now the startup is preparing its arrival at Catalan healthcare centers, and is already in negotiations with some of them for its implementation.
The pilot test with this Polish hospital was possible thanks to the Catalonia Open Challenges platform, an online service coordinated by Acció, the Generalitat's business competitiveness agency, which connects the demands and technological innovation needs of different companies around the world with Catalan startups capable of devising and developing devices to meet these needs. Subsequently, the company also presented this system during the Mobile World Congress, in the pavilion that the Generalitat installed at the technology congress. While working on its implementation in hospital centers, the startup also plans to expand Wheely-go to other sectors such as museums, shopping centers, train stations or airports, infrastructures that could also require this wheelchair lending system.
The Wheely-go system is the fourth patent that Sterna Innovation has developed since its creation in 2014. In this decade of experience, it has worked on the design of patents as varied as a medical device capable of detecting the oxidation state of a drug, a sensor to monitor the amount of dirt accumulated on solar panels, or a sensor capable of checking if a person is at their workstation, based on a temperature comparison system.
During this decade, the startup has worked with about fifty clients, five of whom are from outside Spain, developing projects in New Zealand or South America, from its team of six people located in Quart (Girona). Although they work mainly with startups and small and medium-sized companies to accompany them in the development of a technological solution adapted to their needs, their client portfolio also includes large companies such as the pharmaceutical company Hipra. In addition, for 75% of these clients, the company has devised more than one device or project.
The startup is responsible for conceiving and developing technological devices, especially sensors or wireless systems, according to the needs of each client. "The objective is to accompany in all development phases, from technical feasibility, cost evaluation, to the first prototypes, adapted to the user experience, as well as their subsequent certification and validation tests," emphasizes Pelach. In addition, they have specialized in the creation and certification of medical products, products that require going through a slow validation system, such as the new Wheely-go system. Although they are not responsible for the manufacture of these systems, they do work with several suppliers and manufacturers to carry them out.