STTR Phase I: Wireless Sensing of Body Movement: Detection and Evaluation of Lameness in Horses

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project focuses on lameness which is one of the most common health problems for horses. Treatment is most effective in the earliest stages of lameness, however the subjective diagnostic methods currently used by large animal are imprecise and inaccurate. To improve the quality of lameness evaluation, the startup company Equinosis is leversaging research at the University of Missouri to develop a field-ready, portable, wireless body-sensor-based system that can diagnose the affected limb and severity of lameness in horses sooner and more effectively than current methods. This computer-driven technology determines the degree of lameness by measuring the head and pelvic movements of horses. In the proposed project, Equinosis will evaluate the patterns of head and pelvic motions of horses with definite diagnoses of naturally-occurring and experimentally-induced (temporary) lameness. The objective of this work will be to verify both the technology and University of Missouri research data. The broader impacts of this research may extend beyond the initial goals of improved diagnosis and earlier, more effective treatment of lameness in horses. While Equinosis has identified lameness in horses as its initial commercialization target, the company believes that this patent-pending technology can be extended to detect other ailments in other animal species. Further development of the technology could eventually assist in the diagnosis of medical issues for humans, especially in those cases where the patient has referred pain or cannot communicate symptoms clearly to medical professionals.