Presentation
Last week, we were contacted by a major Spanish network, Radio Intereconomía.
They had read some press articles about a project in which Unimedia Technology collaborated with the British company Milbotix: the SmartSocks ™. They were preparing a new edition of the program “Sin palos en las ruedas”, hosted by Javier Font, focused on Alzheimer’s disease. Javier is the president of FAMMA, the Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of the Community of Madrid.
They told us they found our project very interesting and wanted us to share more about it. Also invited to the program was Pascual Sánchez, the scientific director of Fundación Cien, an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting, and coordinating research into neurodegenerative diseases.
We were, of course, delighted to participate in the program. As software developers, we are proud to contribute our technological expertise to support mental health and improve people’s lives. Every step forward in research brings us closer to finding solutions for many diseases and providing a better quality of life for patients.
Interview
Here are the contributions made by our CEO, Jaume Vidal, and the link to the program broadcast yesterday, January 20, 2025:
(J. Font) What are SmartSocks ™?
(J. Vidal) They are smart socks designed to monitor and assist in the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
(J. Font) And how do they work?
(J. Vidal) These socks have two components: the hardware, which is the device itself, and the software programming. These socks function like a polygraph. They are equipped with sensors that continuously measure sweat, movement, pulse, and temperature, and they send this data to a platform we developed at Unimedia Technology in the cloud, using AWS services. On this platform, through a personalized AI model for each user, we aim to detect anomalies or states of anxiety or stress in the user. If detected, an alert is immediately sent to the caregiver’s mobile device.
(J. Font) I understand that this data is analyzed and applied by professionals or is it intended for domestic use? I assume it requires an expert to interpret this analysis.
(J. Vidal) There are three stages of the product. One is focused on research at universities, aimed at experts and PhD students so they can carry out their assessments and studies using the platform. A second stage is targeted at nursing homes and hospitals, to be used by professionals, as you mentioned. Finally, there will be a direct-to-consumer version, to bring this care to homes.
(J. Font) This product needs to be worn for a prolonged period to deliver results. How does it actually work in practice?
(J. Vidal) The socks are put on the user, and for an hour, a training process is carried out to prepare and optimize the algorithm for that specific user. After that, they can wear them all the time. The user doesn’t even notice they’re there, as they are very comfortable and washable. They become just another piece of clothing, continuously monitoring the patient’s condition.
(J. Font) How did you carry out the research and development of such a promising product?
(J. Vidal) The initiative came from Dr. Zeke Steer, from Bristol, founder of Millbotix. During his doctoral research, he noticed that Alzheimer’s patients tend to remove bracelets, watches, necklaces, or any type of monitoring device. He concluded that these systems weren’t effective and decided to find a solution. With this vision, he founded Millbotix, secured funding, and then contacted Unimedia to bring his vision to life. From there, we worked together to develop this product.
(J. Font) Jaume, thank you for being here and sharing this technological advancement with us. It seems highly relevant, and we hope many more innovations will emerge. Best wishes for your continued research.
(J. Vidal) We will certainly continue. Thank you very much.
Links
We encourage you to listen to the full program. Here is the link: “Sin Palos En Las Ruedas”
And if you’d like to learn more about us, feel free to visit our website: Unimedia·Tech.
