Who am I? And how did MyoAlert come about?
I worked for 20 years in companies to make smartphones faster and more reliable. This was the path I had planned after my engineering degree. Outside of work, I participated in many fun projects such as manufacturing 3D printers, maintaining escape games, creating several demonstrators for the Sports Museum in Nice, home automation, solar energy regulation and participating in robotics competitions. Such fun and stimulating projects.
My father explained the engineering profession to me in a very simple sentence:
"The job of an engineer is just to solve problems that no one has solved yet."
This sentence took on its full meaning when Jean-Claude and I were put in contact.
An unforgettable encounter
Jean-Claude, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, was looking on Facebook for a solution to adapt his emergency call system to his declining mobility. The device he had been using until then required pressing a button, an action that had become increasingly difficult for him, as he only had one non-paralyzed finger left, which was losing strength day after day…
I later learned that Jean-Claude had been diagnosed with Charcot's disease, and that his mobility was increasingly reduced. Very active, athletic, passionate about photography and travel, Jean-Claude saw his life radically transformed by this neurodegenerative disease. His mobility gradually reduced, leaving him almost completely paralyzedHe wrote a book that also made me think about life. Jean-Claude is 2 years older than me.
The challenge of autonomy
His main need was to be able to contact those around him without physical effort and without having to press a button to:
- Ask for a change of position when uncomfortable
- Report an itch
- Require specific care
- etc…
Although equipped with an eye-tracking system to communicate via computer, Jean-Claude needed a stand-alone calling device, especially at night when the computer was out of sight.
This device to be designed would also have to adapt to Jean-Claude's progressive paralysis For example, he could still move his neck, contract the triceps of one arm, slightly raise one shoulder, move the muscles of his face, and move a single finger very weakly, but with no guarantee over time for any of these movements.
The quest for a suitable solution
We exchanged at length via instant messaging, thanks to his eye control, to find a suitable alternative. The challenge was to design a call system:
- Computer independent
- Equipped with a long-lasting battery
- Usable without physical effort
- Scalable according to its increasing paralysis
This research highlights the critical importance of scalable assistive technologies for people with neurodegenerative diseases, enabling them to maintain some independence and quality of life despite disease progression.
I understood his real need
ll in parallel with my salaried work, Jean-Claude and I discuss to find the solution to this problem that was not yet solved. However, humanity knows how to go to the moon, can have Internet everywhere in the world by satellite, replace a heart, but has not solved the problem that a disabled person can call a caregiver who is just in the next room.
I designed a first prototype in 2019. There was a strong constraint: the updates must be done remotely because Jean-Claude lives more than 800 miles from me. And they must be done with only the intervention of the disabled person. Jean-Claude was not going to ask his wife to plug a cable into the PC, to press a button every time I wanted to test a new way of detecting movements.
Also, the MyoAlert had to be able to record the sensor signals, and send them to me so that I could analyze the actual measurements. We made many measurements by placing the sensor in different locations, in order to suit the greatest number of situations today. It is from these constraints that the MyoAlert is today very easy to use, and allows an unprecedented configurability.
And for several years now, MyoAlert has been working flawlessly, 24/7.
Jean-Claude knows the disability community much better than I do, and he has advised me many times to put the product on the market in order to help all the other people who are in the same situation as him. Who are unable to call a loved one who is only a few meters away. Because among all the systems that Jean-Claude has tested, none has been able to meet this specific need in such a reliable and simple way.
For a long time, I had other priorities, "no time", "we'll see later". And following a change in my professional situation, I decided to devote myself to a strong value which is to be able to help make this world run a little better. To be able to put energy and provide solutions to a minority who really need them. To create something in a niche that does not interest the industry, because the market is too small.
My vision
Bring a technological solution to the problem of disability. MyoAlert is not protected by patents. This would go against the vision. If a manufacturer wants to spend months and months of effort to offer an identical product, it would be very sad. Why not invest the same energy in another product that responds to a problem that has not yet been resolved? If the sales volume over a year does not cover the operating costs, I undertake to put all the technical documents, electronic diagrams, and source code under an open source license, so that anyone can manufacture this device and share it with someone who needs it.
My values
Quality has always been present in my choices. Sometimes with a little excess and perfectionism. No way the MyoAlert can break down. J’aime apporter de la nouveauté, de l’innovation. J’aime explorer de nouveaux points de vue, faire les choses différemment, tester de nouvelles façons de faire.
“Nobody told them it was impossible, so they did it”
is one of my favorite mottos.
My mission
Today, making MyoAlert accessible to people who need it is my priority. And that means making it adaptable and configurable to best fit each personal situation.
Test MyoAlert at home
By testing MyoAlert at home, you will be able to evaluate for yourself the effectiveness and reliability of this device designed to meet essential needs with ease.