
Prof. Dr. Kai Oberländer, Co-Founder and CEO of Motesque – Interview Sequence
Prof. Dr. Kai Oberländer, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Motesque. Motesque has a imaginative and prescient to revolutionize the world of human movement by creating and creating pioneering expertise to remodel human movement into healthcare, e-commerce, and retail options. They need to preserve folks wholesome for so long as attainable and enhance their high quality of life by way of biomechanical options.
How did you get into the sector of biomechanics?
Again within the late 2000s, I studied arithmetic and sports activities science, and by combining these topics I discovered my ardour. It fascinated me that joints permit segments hooked up to them to maneuver alongside round paths. Nevertheless, human locomotion itself is extra of a linear movement. So, I began studying a e-book by a number one authority within the subject of biomechanics, Robert McNeill Alexander, about locomotion, and that led me to biomechanics.
May you focus on the genesis story behind Motesque?
I moved to Cologne to start out my PhD on the well being standing of the knee after ACL reconstruction. Working with internationally identified colleagues, I used to be positively influenced by human locomotion from a human perspective reasonably than a mathematical one. Nevertheless, on this orthopedic setting, it’s troublesome to foretell the end result of a surgical procedure. It’s exhausting to objectively decide whether or not it is possible for you to to return to sports activities or whether or not you’ll need an orthotic through the restoration course of. However that didn’t exist on the time. So, we began to develop an IMU-sensor expertise that makes it simpler to resolve whether or not you possibly can transfer successfully in on a regular basis life and do sports activities once more. And that was the start of Motesque.
Why is movement information the “new gold” in health-tech and AI?
AI usually thrives on information. The extra the higher. Particularly in well being tech, movement information mixed with AI opens up potentialities which have by no means existed earlier than. The great factor for sufferers is that this information is obtained utilizing non-invasive strategies. They permit for correct prognosis of well being circumstances. At Motesque, we’re capable of seize movement information and remodel it into customized suggestions that assist assess healthcare and sports activities associated conditions. These judgments, based mostly on particular person information, are beneficial as a result of they assist sufferers stroll, run, and train more healthy to keep away from or get well from damage.
How do locomotion traits assist to foretell an individual’s well being future?
Step one is the prognosis of locomotion traits with refined strategies. If an individual’s movement traits are at a sure degree, we will predict by which route this can develop. For instance, if she or he has stage three osteoarthritis within the knee, it is rather seemingly that she or he will undergo worse knee joint put on sooner or later. For the info evaluation, analysis, and eventually advice for the appropriate product, we want a number of information, arithmetic, and a superb understanding of biomechanics.
What are the various kinds of machine studying algorithms which are used?
With merchandise like our 3D avatar expertise, we use laptop imaginative and prescient together with each traditional and trendy deep studying methods. We use RNNs for our sequential information, together with regression evaluation. Optimization methods like gradient descent are used for parameter tuning and sophisticated numerical simulations. For giant information we use clustering methods and regression evaluation to achieve extra perception into merchandise and make suggestions.
May you focus on how suggestions for orthotics and prosthetics are made?
We now have developed a cell gait evaluation system to assist every particular person discover essentially the most applicable orthotic and prosthetic becoming. The IMU sensors may be simply hooked up to the affected person’s physique. These sensors seize movement information that gives goal details about the footprint, physique heart of gravity, joint angles and different parameters. All information is then analyzed by biomechanical fashions and algorithms to make sure the perfect particular person advice.
May you focus on how this expertise is used with trainers?
Whereas the shopper is working on a treadmill, high-tech sensors are hooked up to the shopper’s physique and footwear that seize very correct and dependable information of gait and posture. A pre-selection of footwear is then analyzed and in contrast based mostly on the shopper’s working model. The shoe with the perfect traits, which meets the wants and working model of the shopper, is advisable.
One other sport that this utility is utilized in is bicycling, may you present some particulars on this?
That is an utility that we developed primarily for the e-commerce sector. It additionally offers particular person becoming suggestions however as it’s used on-line, we create a 3D avatar based mostly on physique sizes and proportions that nearly exams merchandise comparable to bicycles within the on-line retailer. Inside seconds this answer recommends the perfect product for every shopper. We not too long ago introduced that SIGNA Sports activities United, the main sports activities e-commerce and tech platform, and Motesque, embarked in a strategic partnership. Collectively we’re launching the primary ever biomechanical AI-based digital bike becoming engine for on-line bike procuring. Our bike answer makes use of the 3D avatar to assist choose the perfect body measurement and configuration for particular person physique proportions and seating place.
How does Motesque assist to enhance sleep by recommending mattresses?
In contrast to resolution tree-based suggestions that measure top, weight and sleeping place, our visionary AI-based biomechanical expertise combines private information and photos of every buyer, by making a three-dimensional avatar of our prospects which interacts with completely different mattresses by way of our physics and biomechanical engine.
Taking a number of parameters under consideration, our software program identifies the curvature of the backbone from the facet, most sinking depth, torso tilt, and extra. In the long run the patron will get the advice of the mattress which inserts finest his or her anatomical traits and sleeping conduct.
Is there the rest that you simply wish to share about Motesque?
We imagine that our options, that are scientifically based mostly and correspond individually for product suggestions, will turn into the long run means of responding to people’ wants. As a world firm, we’re already properly positioned to proceed innovating on this path to supply all finish prospects or sufferers with an entire answer to forestall accidents and to enhance their total well being.
Thanks for the nice interview, readers who want to study extra ought to go to Motesque.