This article was originally published on the NITI Frontier Tech Respository.

WALK is a clinically validated wearable medical device designed to reduce freezing of gait (FOG) in people living with Parkinson’s disease. Developed by Lifespark Technologies, a Mumbai-based health technology startup, the solution combines a lower-limb wearable, a mobile application, and a cloud-based clinical monitoring system. 

The device was co-founded by electrical and electronics engineer Amey Desai, alongside Dr Devendra Desai, a senior gastroenterologist with nearly three decades of clinical experience. The innovation emerged from a clear and urgent need: in India alone, an estimated 7 million people live with Parkinson’s disease, many of whom experience debilitating gait freezing that significantly increases fall risk, loss of independence, and healthcare burden.

The motivation behind WALK was both personal and scientific. Desai’s exposure to Parkinson’s disease through his grandfather, combined with his academic training in neural motor control at BITS Pilani and the University of Leeds, shaped the core insight behind the device. 

Research in neuromuscular physiology shows that walking is not governed solely by conscious brain control, but also by spinal circuits and patterned sensory feedback. When these internal cues fail — as in Parkinson’s disease — external rhythmic cues can help........

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