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SmartSocks®DISCOVERY Pioneers Competition, an initiative designed to support innovative research using the SmartSocks®DISCOVERY wearable sensing platform.
The competition invited researchers, clinicians, and innovators to propose novel and impactful applications of SmartSocks® across five categories: Dementia and other neurological disorders, Stress, Sleep, Rehabilitation, and Movement. Submissions were assessed on scientific merit, innovation, feasibility, and potential impact.
Following a rigorous review process, winners and runners-up have been selected in the following categories:
Dementia and other neurological disorders
Winner: Tamlyn Watermeyer, Northumbria University – SmartSleep&Steps-DS Pilot: SmartSocks® Sleep and Gait Monitoring in Down Syndrome.
Runner-up: Tubga Erdem, Koç University – SmartSocks-Based Pain Evaluation in Stroke Patients: A Comparative Study of Pressure Injury Impact.
Stress
Winner: Luigi Moretti, University of the West of England – Socks Over Stigma: Exploring SmartSocks as an Unobtrusive Alternative to Smartwatches for Emotion Monitoring in Anxiety Disorders – MEMoPAD.
Runner-up: Murat Erdem, Turkish Basketball Federation – Monitoring the Effects of Home–Away Conditions and Travel Mode (Air Travel vs Coach Travel) on Physiological Stress, Sleep, and Performance in Basketball Players Using SmartSocks: A Pilot Study.
Sleep
Winner: Ullrich Bartsch, University of Surrey – Evaluating Milbotix Smart Socks for Multi-Modal Sleep Monitoring in Down Syndrome.
Runner-up: Beatriz Venancio, Royal Holloway, University of London – A Pilot Study Exploring the Acceptability and Tolerability of the SmartSocks®DISCOVERY Kit for Monitoring Sleep Physiology in young people with Type 1 Diabetes.
Winning teams will receive SmartSocks®DISCOVERY Kits, providing access to Milbotix’s research-ready wearable platform for continuous measurement of physiological and movement data. Runners-up will receive SmartSocks®DISCOVERY Starter Kits.
No awards were made in the Rehabilitation or Movement categories on this occasion, but these remain priority research directions for SmartSocks®DISCOVERY.
Dr Zeke Steer, Founder and CEO of Milbotix, said:
“We were encouraged by the quality, creativity, and ambition of the proposals we received. The winning projects demonstrate exactly the kind of visionary and impactful research SmartSocks®DISCOVERY was developed for. The projects we are supporting will advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding of Down syndrome, diabetes, stroke, and anxiety disorders while also demonstrating the use of SmartSocks®DISCOVERY to monitor and enhance performance in elite sports. I wish to thank everyone who took the time to apply and I extend my congratulations to the winners and runners-up.”
Milbotix also thanks the expert judging panel whose insight and domain expertise were central to the selection process:
- Professor Helen Dawes, University of Exeter
- Dr Silvia Del Din, Newcastle University
- Dr Lizzie Hill, University of the West of England
- Professor Kavita Vedhara, Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd
- Adam Smith, University College London / Dementia Researcher
“I am extremely grateful to our judges for their time, care, and thoughtful evaluation of the submissions,” added Dr Steer. “Their expertise across digital health/wearables, sleep and movement science, rehabilitation, dementia, and psychology has been invaluable.”
The SmartSocks®DISCOVERY Pioneers Competition forms part of Milbotix’s wider mission to enable research that improves wellbeing, safety, and independence for people with long-term health conditions.
Further details about the competition and the winning projects can be found at:
https://milbotix.com/smartsocks_discovery_pioneers_competition_winners/
