Written By: Jack Robertson
OREKA-Balance
Today, we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Saioa Herrero, a faculty member at the Bilbao School of Engineering, about her bioengineering product, OREKA-Balance.
This innovative product has the potential to serve multiple purposes, but it was originally developed with a specific goal in mind: to assist stroke patients in regaining their ability to maintain balance.
After experiencing a stroke, many individuals have difficulty standing or walking without support due to damage in the brain. As a result, they often require extended rehabilitation, sometimes lasting from several months to several years, to relearn their balancing function.
To address this challenge, Dr. Herrero and her team developed OREKA-Balance. The concept for the device emerged from a thorough analysis of rehabilitation practices at a nearby center, where the team identified several inefficiencies in traditional therapy methods.
The device consists of a platform with three degrees of freedom, allowing it to tilt and rotate in multiple directions. Patients undergoing rehabilitation stand on the platform, which then performs controlled movements to challenge their balance. The goal is to train the patient to adjust their posture in real-time as the platform shifts, mimicking real-life balance demands.
What sets the device apart is its ability to provide real-time feedback, making the rehabilitation process not only more effective but also more engaging.
Dr. Herrero also discussed the challenges involved in developing a product from scratch. She outlined the various stages required to bring a product from the research bench to market, and how her team navigated these problems. She highlighted that while her team has been successful so far, many startups struggle toward the middle of the development process due to lack of financial support.
My Takeaways
Hearing how Dr. Herrero and her team turned a single idea into a working product in just a few years was incredibly inspiring. What stood out to me most was how they used direct feedback from rehabilitation centers to guide development. This reminded me that successful products aren’t just based on good ideas, but on real-world needs and engagement with users.
As an engineer, this talk showed me how one strong idea and a dedicated team can create real impact. It was fascinating to hear about the challenges of bringing a product to market, especially the importance of refining a prototype before seeking investment.
This talk taught me much about the development process for a real product, and I hope to carry these skills and lessons with me into my future career.