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<p><strong>What began as a personal frustration with sports injuries has grown into a healthcare innovation with potential far beyond the world of running. WearM.AI, founded by researcher and entrepreneur Huawei Wang, develops wearable technology that measures physical stress at the muscle and joint level. The technology was initially aimed at preventing running injuries, but is now being explored in a Health~Holland-funded research project as a tool for patients undergoing long-term home rehabilitation after a stroke.</strong></p><p><img src="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/Wear_M_AI_2_f40523ffa4.jpg?token=V1hrXQ1EttP9zpsi9yYKo95xAkTou7dCaWB99lzEJFw&amp;expires=1777471579" alt="WearM.AI2.jpg" srcset="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/thumbnail_Wear_M_AI_2_f40523ffa4.jpg?token=4QP3S5evUW38uLht6ovgm-R37R2vW2NdoOUQpvpnOGs&amp;expires=1777471579 245w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/small_Wear_M_AI_2_f40523ffa4.jpg?token=1CfBkt6ua1_MkHV4bu2wXqWgrnsVgQYZhfgxJWNkgpY&amp;expires=1777471579 500w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/medium_Wear_M_AI_2_f40523ffa4.jpg?token=guEpmsbasyUWC3-5GNJfqlZ0dpgg2kIm2G71E6miYBk&amp;expires=1777471579 750w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/large_Wear_M_AI_2_f40523ffa4.jpg?token=mhqfLPditren9QQff3UhhH6_XpWScaRZwmy5CopVz8g&amp;expires=1777471579 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1920" height="1080"></p><p><a href="https://wearm.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">WearM.AI</a> is a health tech startup and spin-off from the University of Twente at the intersection of sports science, wearables, and healthcare. The company is developing a small sensor that can be attached to a shoe and enables detailed movement and strain analyses. Unlike many existing wearables, which focus primarily on heart rate or general activity, WearM.AI specifically monitors joint and muscle use. This opens up new applications, not only in sports but also in medical rehabilitation.</p><h2>Sports Injuries </h2><p>Wang’s motivation is both scientific and personal. “During my research in sports science, I conducted many injury analyses in the lab,” he explains. “When I suffered a sports injury myself, I wondered how I could apply my research findings to my own situation.” This revealed a clear gap: outside the lab, there is no accessible technology that supports these basic measurements.  </p><p>Although wearables such as smartwatches and wristbands now collect a lot of sports data, they focus primarily on cardiovascular parameters. According to Wang, they offer little insight into the strain on joints and muscles—precisely the factors that are crucial for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Together with a colleague, Wang therefore decided to found WearM.AI, with the goal of developing a user-friendly, wearable system that provides insight specifically at the muscular level.</p><h2>From Sports to Healthcare  </h2><p>While developing the first prototype, WearM.AI explored various markets. This led to an important insight: in sports, users expect immediately actionable advice, not complex datasets. “In the sports market, you don’t just provide data,” says Wang. “You have to build a complete system that interprets the data and translates it into concrete actions and advice.” That requires a mature ecosystem and further development.  </p><p>Healthcare therefore proved to be a logical starting point. Physical therapists and doctors already have the expertise to interpret detailed movement data. “It’s a natural step to break the problem down,” Wang explains. “We’re starting by developing a simple, reliable measurement solution and collaborating with professionals who know how to use this information.” This way, the system can be built up step by step, with healthcare as the first area of application.  </p><h2>Health~Holland Project Rehab@Home </h2><p>This approach comes together in the Health~Holland project Rehab@Home, a new consortium with committed funding of €1,500,000. Through the AI Hub East Netherlands, Wang connected with researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and various rehabilitation partners, among others. Together, they developed a research proposal that brings together rehabilitation and movement sciences, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship to support independent rehabilitation in the home setting. The project was approved in February 2026.</p><p>The need is urgent. Due to staffing shortages in the Dutch healthcare system, stroke patients often receive only two to three weeks of intensive rehabilitation in specialized centers. This is followed by a rehabilitation period of six to twelve months at home, with limited supervision. “Feedback sessions are rare—sometimes only once every two weeks,” says Wang. “Patients don’t always know whether they’re performing the exercises correctly or if the program is too strenuous. That can undermine their motivation and recovery.”</p><h2>AI Supports Rehabilitation </h2><p>WearM.AI aims to improve this with a digital platform based on wearable sensors and AI. The sensor tracks daily rehabilitation exercises and shares this data with healthcare professionals, allowing them to evaluate progress more frequently. At the same time, patients receive immediate feedback, for example through animations on the TV screen that show how an exercise is supposed to be performed and how their performance compares to the desired level.</p><p>AI plays a supporting role here. The system does not make medical decisions but acts as an assistant. “Doctors don’t want to adjust the rehabilitation plan every day,” says Wang. “But patients have good days and not-so-good days. Our AI models can adjust daily routines within predefined parameters based on performance and recovery history.” This makes rehabilitation more personalized, while control remains with the healthcare professional.</p><p>In collaboration with VU University Amsterdam and rehabilitation centers, WearM.AI is working with stroke patients at various stages of recovery. Their feedback determines which features truly add value and how the solution fits into daily life. “We have to learn this directly from patients,” says Wang. “You can’t design that from behind a desk.”</p><h2>Potential Applications </h2><p>Although the focus is currently on stroke rehabilitation, WearM.AI sees broader potential applications, such as in other neurological or orthopedic recovery programs. The underlying principle remains the same: technology should support healthcare professionals and empower patients, not replace human expertise.</p><p>By translating advanced biomechanical insights into accessible applications for home use, WearM.AI demonstrates how AI can help alleviate the strain on the healthcare system, while keeping patients actively involved in their own recovery.</p><p>Curious about the solutions WearM.AI is developing? Check out <a href="https://wearm.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">wearM.AI</a> or send Huawei a message at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/huawei-wang-biomech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Huawei Wang | LinkedIn </a></p>

WearM.AI helps patients and healthcare professionals with data-driven rehabilitation

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<p>What began as a personal frustration with sports injuries has grown into a healthcare innovation with potential far beyond the world of running. WearM.AI, founded by researcher and entrepreneur Huawei Wang, develops wearable technology that measures physical stress at the muscle and joint level. The technology was initially aimed at preventing running injuries, but is now being explored in a Health~Holland-funded research project as a tool for patients undergoing long-term home rehabilitation after a stroke.&nbsp;</p>