UC secures European funding to revolutionise physical rehabilitation with innovative technology
The Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) has been awarded a Proof of Concept (PoC) grant worth €150,000 from the European Research Council (ERC) to develop the KineSense project, which aims to create innovative wearable technologies capable of continuously and objectively monitoring muscle activity and joint movement throughout the rehabilitation process.
Led by Mahmoud Tavakoli, researcher at the FCTUC Institute of Systems and Robotics, the project seeks to turn these technologies into clinically validated tools that can be easily integrated into rehabilitation practice, including the use of advanced data analytics to support results interpretation and therapeutic decision-making.
KineSense combines two complementary systems: ultra-thin patches applied directly to the skin to monitor muscle activity, and a smart textile-based platform to track joint movement comfortably and non-invasively, both in clinical settings and in users’ everyday activities.
Neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, and sports injuries, affect millions of people worldwide and are among the leading causes of disability. Although rehabilitation plays a key role in patient recovery, ongoing assessment of progress still often relies on clinical observation and patients’ subjective reports.
By continuously collecting data on muscle function and movement quality, KineSense aims to give doctors, physiotherapists, and patients objective information to track recovery more precisely and on a more personalised basis.
Beyond healthcare, these technologies may also find applications in sport and human performance monitoring, helping to prevent injuries, optimise training, and support the recovery of professional and amateur athletes alike.
“This project represents an important step in turning fundamental scientific discoveries into technologies that can directly benefit society. Our vision is to make quantitative movement analysis as accessible as measuring heart rate is today,” says Mahmoud Tavakoli.
KineSense builds on a strong intellectual property portfolio developed at FCTUC over the past decade, including several international patent families. Technology transfer and commercialisation activities will be supported by UC Business, the University of Coimbra’s technology transfer office, helping to accelerate the path of these solutions to market.
The project will be developed at FCTUC in collaboration with international partners, including the University Medical Center Groningen, in the Netherlands, reinforcing the institution’s position as a European reference in digital health, wearable technologies, and advanced rehabilitation systems.