You know the drill. After months of training for an important match or another meaningful moment in your life, things go wrong at the moment suprême. The shot misses its target, or you hurt your knee again after a long period of rehabilitation. Aristotle Technologies, a software startup from Eindhoven, the Netherlands, helps people perform well under pressure by means of technology. The software is used not only in the (top)sports world but also in physio practices; for fall prevention, among other things. We asked co-founder Maurits Overmans how his company is doing.
How are you guys doing at the moment?
“We are well on our way. Until now, we were strongly focused on soccer. This has given us a successful introduction to the market. We are still working with top clubs that play at the European level. We are also active in the field hockey world, for example.
However, we are now going to use our technology more broadly, for example, to make people more self-reliant. We work together with physio practices, and, for instance, help people over 65 to reduce the risk of a fall. Or to help them cross the street safely.”
There’s something about sport… En daarom ligt er een magazine vol technologie en sport voor je klaar. IO Next: The Future of Sport Tech is een gouden combinatie voor de zomer. We doken in innovaties voor professionals, maar óók voor de huis-tuin-en-keuken atleet.
How can technology help with this?
“Vital aging means not only being physically active but also taking into account how the brain functions. We train people to perceive, process, and apply relevant information in situations where there are a lot of stimuli around them. It’s the combination of body and brain that counts. We have developed an app in which we combine brain training with physical tasks appropriate to daily functioning.
For example, consider older people who have to cross a busy intersection. There is a lot of traffic which creates a lot of stimuli. The person must cross at the right time to reduce the risk of falls or accidents. How do they perceive? In a controlled environment, for example, you have these people do step-ups or walk on a treadmill while they perform the exercises, so they train their brain functions at the same time.
They perform those cognitive tasks through a controller. We record the responses and provide immediate feedback back to the person who is exercising and to the trainer or physical therapist.”
And in the context of sports?
“For a soccer player, the training consists of a combination of brain training and soccer drills. Someone we help rehabilitate after a sports injury does balancing and strength exercises, for example.”
What was actually your personal motivation for starting Aristotle?
“My grandmother passed away from the effects of a stroke. Recently, my other grandmother was also affected by this. It is heartbreaking to see how quickly people, who were vital at first, slip within a short period of time. All of a sudden the quality of life deteriorates rapidly. They can no longer take care of themselves. Technology can help people like my grandmothers, especially at a time when healthcare is under pressure.”
What is currently on the agenda?
“We are working with several physical therapy practices. Our app is already active, but we are still busy optimizing. Then we are taking steps to commercialize our product for this specific customer group. We have successful ongoing collaborations. In sports, we have also been able to take follow-up steps commercially to properly support even more athletes in their individual development paths.”
What are you most proud of so far?
“In the end, it’s all about making an impact. First, we could mean something in the top sports world, but thanks to the new collaborations we can use our technology much more widely. We are helping a large group of people to live life to the fullest. I think that’s great to see.”
Related Posts
