Autonomous micro flying robots combine a large variety of technological challenges and are therefore an excellent showcase for leading edge micro/nano technologies and their integration with information technology towards a fully operational intelligent micro-system. Therefore, the muFly project proposes the development and implementation of the first fully autonomous micro helicopter comparable in size and weight to a small bird. The key challenges of the project include innovative concepts for power sources, sensors, actuators, navigation and helicopter design and their integration into a very compact system. The envisaged fully autonomous micro-helicopter will weight less than 30g and measure only 10cm in diameter. MuFly is a STREP project under the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Commission.

FreeMotion is conducted by a consortium of Dutch research institutes and companies, in wich Xsens also participates. Currently optimal decision making around motor disorders and performance can only be made applying accurate and complete motion analysis methods. These elaborate laboratory based methods are only available in a few elite institutes.

FreeMotion focusses on the development of ambulatory methods using only body worn sensors for motion analysis in order to provide a larger part of the healthcare, ergonomic and sports professionals with similarly optimal decision making tools. Read more about Motion Capturing, Gait Analyses & Biomedical signals and systems.

European technology for business limited, The salisbury health care national health service trust, Roessingh research and development b.v., University college cork - national university of ireland

Xsens participated on this project, which was funded under the European Union 5th Framework Programme. The project developed a device to help patients with a problem known as drop foot. The device consists of a medical implant for stimulation of the peroneal nerve and a stimulator that strapped to the lower leg. Instead of using manual switches or footswitches for control of the stimulator, data of inertial sensors are used. A software algorithm accurately detects the gait phase and ensures that the implant stimulation is triggered at the correct time instance.

There are currently around 1.4 M stroke patients living with drop foot in Europe and the USA. In addition, the 3 different Microsystems to be developed can be used in a variety of other medical applications, e.g. other implantable systems and in monitoring human movement to help prevent back injury. This project introduces new Microsystems into the market place, thus helping to reduce the material resources required. In addition, it will improve the health and quality of life for people suffering from walking disabilities.

Finetech-Medical Ltd, Roessingh research and development b.v.

The purpose of this project is to investigate the safety and effective of an Implanted Dropped Foot Stimulator. This medical device is a 2 channel implanted neuromuscular stimulator intended for the correction of dropped foot following stroke.

The nerve that controls the lifting of the foot in walking is called the common peroneal nerve. At a point, just below the knee, this nerve splits into two branches, the deep branch and the superficial branch. The deep branch goes to the muscles that lift (dorsiflex) and turn inward (inversion) the foot while the superficial branch supplies the muscles that turn the foot outwards (eversion). In normal walking, a combination of these movements is required. Therefore an electrode is surgically inserted in both nerves enabling the movements to be controlled separately. This causes nerve impulses to travel down the nerve to the muscle in the same way as naturally occurring nerve impulses. Stimulation begins when the foot is lifted and ends when the heel is returned to the ground. Sensation from the electrical stimulation should be very slight and it is expected that users will quickly become accustomed to it. Once healing has occurred the operation site scars should be negligible. It may be possible to palpate the implant under the skin but it is not expected to be noticeable to the eye.