Developing an assistive brace for people with Parkinson’s disease was more than a humanitarian act for Courtney Williamson; it was personal. It has also served as her entrance into the medical devices industry.
As the founder of AbiliLife and a PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, Courtney has gone through six prototypes to create a brace that she describes as a "light weight and breathable" vest, which aims to be as easy as putting on a T-shirt.
Courtney explained her motivation and inspiration for the making the Calibrace, assistive brace:
"My mother has had Parkinson's for about 25 years. I noticed she had a lot of trouble with her day-to-day tasks, primarily with her posture and with her balance. I looked constantly for things to help her and I couldn't find anything. This really started because I wanted to help my mom."
The brace is scheduled to launch in April of this year.
