Berriak

The Provincial Council of Bizkaia is seeking to show the public pioneering technological proposals intended to improve people’s quality-of-life. On 25-28 September the Council has set up two innovative exhibition spaces, one of which is showing an exoskeleton used in rehabilitation therapy and the other a virtual rehabilitation platform designed to supplement conventional therapy.  

The showcasing of these pioneering technological solutions on the streets is one of the activities in Bizkaia Silver Week, an event that has attracted international experts and researchers, politicians and other social actors from the local area and the rest of Europe to analyse, discuss and compare notes on demographic change, healthy, active ageing and the "silver economy".

The street just outside the Provincial Council building and Calle Ercilla are the sites chosen to show off these pioneering technological solutions, trials of which have given highly satisfactory results in enhancing people’s quality-of-life. Specifically, passers-by can see an exoskeleton used in rehabilitation therapy and a virtual rehabilitation platform. These examples of technology will be on show to the public in 5 n diameter inflatable transparent polyester domes. These innovative settings will help to bring this technology closer to the public and increase awareness of these innovative applications for improving the present and future quality-of-life of the elderly.

The domes are open to small groups from 11 AM to 2 PM and from 5 PM to 8 PM on 25-28 September. Information is also posted outside them, and there will be demonstrations of the technological products on show throughout the day.

The dome outside the Provincial Council building contains a high-tech exoskeleton used as an aid in standing and dynamic training aid for walking. It is designed to help people suffering from paralysis or weakness in the legs due to neurological problems such as multiple sclerosis to stand up and walk naturally.

The exoskeleton in the dome on Gran Via, Bilbao’s main street, known as the Ekso, is one of the many technological tools used by ADEMBI (the Bizkaia Multiple Sclerosis Association) in its all-round rehabilitation work for sufferers from this disease.

It imitates the pattern of movement of walking as closely as possible in psychological and biomechanical terms, and provides data on walking parameters to help enhance rehabilitation. It must be used under the supervision of a trained expert physiotherapist. For the moment its use is limited to rehabilitation rather than day-to-day life.

The other dome, on Calle Ercilla, contains a pioneering rehabilitation platform for enhancing conventional motor function rehabilitation processes by making therapy more attractive and accessible and presenting specific tasks in the form of a game. It is used in rehabilitation following acquired cerebral injuries, muscular-skeletal conditions, neuro-muscular disorders, neuro-degenerative diseases and in helping the elderly, since it is an aid in training for balance, coordination, flexibility and strength, among other things.

This virtual rehabilitation software is now in use at over 100 rehabilitation centres in 20 countries around the world.