A gamified rehabilitation system that began in Tyree IHealthE's Taste of Innovation program is now in use at Prince of Wales Hospital and has $20,000 to take it further.
Rehabit, a low-cost gamified rehabilitation system developed through the UNSW Tyree Foundation Institute of Health Engineering (Tyree IHealthE), has won a $20,000 prize in UNSW Founders' Peter Farrell Cup, funded by UNSW Justice Inclusion Access (JEINA).
The project began in Tyree IHealthE's Taste of Innovation program. There, UNSW Biomedical Engineering students Paige Tinyow and Raymond Liu worked with clinicians and IHealthE engineers on an unmet need in rehabilitation: keeping patients engaged in repetitive therapy. Rehabit uses low-cost equipment to turn rehabilitation exercises into games, creating an accessible and engaging way for patients to participate in therapy.
The Rehabit team co-developed a prototype platform that is now deployed in the rehabilitation gym. Clinicians are collecting data on its usability, performance and how patients interact with it, with a view to scaling up its implementation across more settings. Throughout its development, Rehabit has been supported by Tyree IHealthE and the Dr Raymond Kirby AO MedTech Makerspace. Clinical collaboration has been led by Dr Daniel Treacy and Peter Trewin from the Prince of Wales Physiotherapy Department, with contributions from Emma Southwell, Sophia Denis and Claire Lucey.
"Rehabit is exactly what Tyree IHealthE is designed to support. Our student entrepreneurs engage with clinicians from day one, facilitated by the Tyree IHealthE engineering and translational expertise, to develop solutions that fit with patient needs,"
said Prof Laura Poole-Warren, Co-Director of Tyree IHealthE.
"What impressed me most about the team was the clinical engagement and fact that they had managed to implement a working prototype in the clinic. Tyree IHealthE’s involvement multiplies the impact of our funding and gives Rehabit a greater chance of successful implementation,"
said Dr Parisa Glass, Founder of UNSW JEINA.
"Receiving the JEINA Award through the PFC was incredibly meaningful because it recognised not only the potential of Rehabit, but also the work Raymond and I had put into developing it alongside the clinicians and the Tyree IHealthE team,"
said Paige Tinyow, UNSW Engineering undergraduate and Tyree IHealthE Taste of Innovation participant.
"The experience showed me how engineering ideas can move beyond concepts and become real solutions that genuinely respond to the needs of patients and clinicians."
The prize will fund the next stage of Rehabit's development as the team refines the system and prepares to scale up its use. Through its support, JEINA creates opportunities for student-led innovation as part of its commitment to empowering migrant women at UNSW and in the wider community, particularly forcibly displaced women.
Leveraging the combined expertise of Tyree IHealthE, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Division of Research & Enterprise and UNSW Founders, the project demonstrates what is possible when partners across UNSW work together to support translatable innovations that address real-world healthcare challenges.
