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Reability – Born in HH Milano

Team interview

1. How did your project start off?

It all started when Chai and Antonello won a Leap Motion device during an hack contest. We decided from there to develop a new brand application using such a device. Since our thesis is related to the healthcare sector, we decided to develop something that can really help other people but at the same time also entertaining and funny to use. Our choice was a series of games using the Leap Motion as controller and our target users are people experiencing trauma/difficulties in using their hands. We asked Jole to join our team since we needed a designer for the games and then Angela and Valentina provide the scientific validation of our idea in term of rehabilitation exercises.

2. How did you manage to end up with a working prototype in a weekend?

Over the cours of the hackathon we developed a working Windows application and implemented 3 different games, each for the 3 different exercises for hand rehabilitation. Valentina reported a list of valid rehabilitation exercises with detailed description and reasonings. Angela and Jole produced all the design elements and the UI/UX for the games and the application. Chai and Antonello worked on the code unifying the graphics with the business logic strictly respecting the scientific proof and descriptions provided by Valentina.

3. Tell us about your team

We’re five people: Chai, Antonello (both Engineering students) and Jole (Product Design student) know each other from their bachelor degree at Politecnico di Milano, while Valentina (physiotherapist) and Angela (PhD candidate in Healthcare Innovation and Design) joined the group during the Sparkboard session as they saw our project as an practical outlet for their specialties. The group didn’t change during the hackathon.

4. What has been the outcome so far?

Lots of things: we’ve worked on our business plan, we were able to run some testing and validating in a hospital environment, and benefit from a 9 month incubation program at PoliHub in Milan.

“We learned how to work together, how to achieve a common goal despite coming from so many different fields of interest and backgrounds.”

.5. What are your accomplishments? Visibility? (conference, media…)

Prizes (PoliHub, Health&Well-being and Hacking Health Community Prize) Interview, 9 months in the Polihub incubator, the chance to obtain consultancy from specialists in a wide range of fields (legal, PR&communication, ICT services, administration, fund raising and tutoring).

6. Any plans for the future?

We aim to develop a complete and fully working application for both Windows and Mac OS. We’ve also planned to build new engaging games to support more and more rehabilitation exercises. Currently we are incubated at the Startup Incubator at PoliHub and thanks to its support network (like Attoma / Sege) we are able to study our target Market and write a Business plan in order to go from project to a formal business entity.

7. Regardless of the progress of the project, what did you learn? What was the most useful insight you gained?

We learned how to work together, how to achieve a common goal despite coming from so many different fields of interest and backgrounds. The hackathon itself was a great experience because we learned the value of sharing perspectives – it was a really captivating and engaging experience, because the hackathon allowed us to experience key moments in business building. By requiring us to think about the revenue model, it replicated some aspects of a true business-context, and gave us a preview of what it would be like working as a team to carry this project further.

8. Could you give us 2-3 testimonial quotes to convince partners to support HH?

– Hacking Health is great because it represents the first real attempt to change and innovate the Healthcare culture.
– You can make the difference by being part of a project aiming to find a solution to a very real need.
– At Hacking Health everyone can be a solution provider

9. What would you say to potential participants?

I would tell them to come prepared to experiment new solutions, even if they sound crazy. Come with your friends and ask around ahead of times what type of healthcare problems they might be experiencing. A good idea is one that solve real problem.

Valérie DoréReability – Born in HH Milano