***SENSIMAT CAMPAIGN UPDATE***

Our Indiegogo campaign is now closed. Thanks to all of you, we managed to raise $16,871 to help improve the lives of wheelchair users. For more information, please visit www.sensimatsystems.com

Cheers,

Will Mann

Co-Founder, SENSIMAT

Breathing: It just happens automatically. The same can be said for shifting your position in a chair - when you are uncomfortable, your brain automatically signals for movement. However, for wheelchair users, relieving seat pressure is no longer an automatic process and if not counteracted through a strict pressure relief regimen, can potentially lead to health problems down the road.

Wheelchair users need to actively undergo pressure relief every 15 to 30 minutes by performing shifts, a lateral bend, forward lean, or vertical push-up. On top of all the other things that wheelchair users must deal with on a daily basis, pressure relief can fall by the wayside. This is where the SENSIMAT helps.

The SENSIMAT for Wheelchairs is a thin, wireless mat of pressure sensors that is inserted underneath a wheelchair cushion. The mat connects via Bluetooth to the SENSIMAT mobile app which allows 24/7 monitoring of the wheelchair cushion.

The SENSIMAT is fully customized to your wheelchair cushion(ie. 16 inches front to back, 18 inches left to right). The SENSIMAT is inserted directly underneath your wheelchair cushion and zipped up in the existing wheelchair cushion sleeve.

The SENSIMAT is comprised of the sensor hardware, the SENSIMAT mobile app, and the SENSIMAT web portal. The hardware is 1/2 an inch thick with strategically-placed force sensors contained by a medical-grade fabric. The hardware has an on/off switch and a micro-USB charging port, but is otherwise wireless.

The SENSIMAT sends the pressure data to a mobile app via Bluetooth. A proprietary algorithm on the app detects whether a wheelchair user is: in/out of the seat, leaning left, right, forward, or is lifting off the seat. As the user is seated, visual indicators will turn from green to yellow and then red after the user-adjusted time has elapsed (ie. 15/30 minutes). User managed alerts (ie. vibrate, ring) are provided at each change. If a relief movement is detected, the sensor colors are reset to green and the relief type is logged in the dashboard. The mobile app syncs with our server, where we store 3.6 million data points/user/week.

SENSIMAT data can be accessed through the mobile app dashboard, or through the web portal.

The Canadian patent for the SENSIMAT has since been awarded and the American patent is currently pending. (Patent# CA2775250, Pending PCT/CA2009/001532). 

We have tested the SENSIMAT at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in combination with a number of different wheelchairs, cushions, and users. Our testing has allowed us to develop algorithms that can accurately detect if a user is in/out of the chair, leaning left, leaning right, leaning forward, and the associated time stamps.

If you are a researcher who is interested in working with us, please get in touch with us at info@sensimatsystems.com and check out our Research Package perk!

Figure: Temporal profile of SENSIMAT sensor signals when individuals engage in a left lean, followed by a right lean, followed by a forward lean.

Source: Gabison S, Verrier M, Nussbaum EN, et al. Can we reliably characterize weight shifting behaviours using a 'smart' pressure mat? Poster. Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. 2013.

The Perks: Not Just for Wheelchair Users

It doesn't matter if you are a wheelchair user, simply interested in the technology, or looking to support the cause: we have a perk for you! The SENSIMAT mobile app is a free download and all perks come with a minimum of 6 months access to the SENSIMAT web portal. The MSRP of the SENSIMAT for Wheelchairs will be approximately $599.00 and a small monthly fee to access the web portal, but for our campaign you can get the SENSIMAT heavily discounted.

The Impact: Why We Need Your Support

We've been working on SENSIMAT for over 18 months. We have tested the SENSIMAT for Wheelchairs at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute with actual wheelchair users and validated that it can accurately detect a user's seating. It has also been tested at several other healthcare institutions including an advanced rehabilitation facility, a nursing simulation hospital, a spinal cord injury model center, an acute care facility, and many community-based wheelchair users.

We need your support to bring the SENSIMAT from it's current minimum viable product, all the way to the finish line by refining the hardware, software, and underlying data algorithms. We will also be finalizing our production run, certifying our hardware, and shipping out those units!

With your help, we can vastly improve the lives of wheelchair users.

Do You Know a Wheelchair User in Economic Need?

If you can't contribute, that's OK! You can still help us out:

• Spread the word about our campaign, Tweet about us, like us on Facebook, and post a link to our campaign on both
• Write about us on your blog or news page
• Use Indiegogo's built-in share tool to get the word out.

At SENSIMAT, we understand that not all wheelchair users who want a SENSIMAT can afford one. That is why we have designated a perk to allow the community to donate contributions towards giving a SENSIMAT to a wheelchair user in need.

Are you a wheelchair user in need? Do you know one - a family member, a friend, someone that you really admire? Please email us at info@sensimatsystems.com and let us know your story. We can't give a SENSIMAT to everyone, but we will select as many wheelchair users as we possibly can. All we ask in return is that you thank the Indiegogo community member that donated a contribution towards your SENSIMAT in the medium of your choice: paper and pen, video, pictures - be as creative as you want!