Nobody sits in a wheelchair for fun, so if you’re not able to cover distances using your own limbs, that’s quite a challenge. It is even more annoying when you also need both arms in order to move a wheelchair forward. Of course, extra mobility is indispensable, although it would be nice if you were able to use your hands for something else.
Each month, IO and its readers choose a Start-Up of the Month winner. Our winner for the month of July comes from Germany. Wheelchairs that can be operated with the eyes are already covered by health insurance there and have been developed in cooperation with the people who know the most about daily wheelchair use: the users themselves. All the more reason to put them in the spotlight one more time!
An independent life for everyone
Marketing manager Markus Englmeier of Munevo is very happy about the award. “We would like to thank everyone who voted for us. This award is extra motivation for us and extra confirmation that we are on the right track.”
The team has a clear vision for the future and wants to continue innovating healthcare with new services and products in the future. “We hope that our smart devices will enable us to reach even more people who have mobility issues or disabilities. By doing so, we are helping more and more people to live their everyday live independently as possible and this is probably the greatest reward for us,” says Englmeier.
This week, the initiators themselves are enjoying a well-deserved holiday. Which is also quite important!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUBl3es3ewA]
Munevo who?
The idea has of course been widely discussed for some time now, but here it is in brief: Munevo DRIVE enables wheelchair users in Germany to operate their wheelchairs via smart glass. This means that wheelchair users are able to use their arms for other purposes.
And whereas many start-ups are still in their early stages, Munevo DRIVE has long since become a reality for our eastern neighbor’s wheelchair users. In Germany, these wheelchairs are covered by health insurance companies. What may be considered very impressive, as this is a fairly conservative sector of the market which usually needs a lot of perseverance. Meanwhile, the initiators have already received their first transactions.
Wheelchair users can no longer do without it. You only come to realize how important mobility really is once you yourself wheelchair-dependent. Google Glass may have peaked a little too early at the time of its introduction a few years ago, nonetheless this application shows that smart glasses do indeed have a future ….
Related Posts
