Kurage and Sateco: Jointly breaking new ground for prostheses

French startup Kurage is an industry leader in combining innovative medical technology and top-class sports in a more inclusive world. It uses intelligent products to help people with limited mobility move their paralyzed limbs. One key element of their neuroprosthesis is the silicone force sensor SXTSC1 from Sateco.

The sensor is integrated into the sole of a shoe and provides data on walking behavior. This information is evaluated by an AI-based algorithm that powers a system of neuromuscular electrostimulation electrodes. As a result, the system is able to reproduce functional movements in a personalized and secure manner to offset flaws in the sensomotoric performance of the movement apparatus. “We have tested many different sensors for this application,” explains Rudi Gombault, CEO of Kurage. “Only the silicone force sensor delivers the signal quality that the algorithm requires to function optimally.” The key is the soft structure of the sensor, which enables ideal sensor integration in the shoe, and the force distribution on the foot can be measured across a large area. As a result, an exceptionally clear signal is created. The signal is created in conjunction with the sensor’s silicone material and the appropriate evaluation electronics.




Sateco assists Kurage with its expertise. “We see the use of the silicone sensor in a prosthesis as an expansion of our core business in man-machine interaction and assist the young company in its endeavors to make clinical approval of the neuroprosthesis as efficient and successful as possible,” confirms Daniel Haefliger, CEO of the Sateco Group. Sateco has already delivered several hundred silicone sensors and several electronic evaluation units to Kurage.





Image: The freely designable base area and dimensions of the silicone sensor allow for an ergonomic design of input devices, prostheses, and exoskeletons.

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