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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/D030749/1
Title: The First FES Sports Festival
Principal Investigator: Donaldson, Professor N. de N.
Other Investigators:
Hunt, Professor K Andrews, Professor BJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Medical Physics and Biomedical Eng
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 July 2005 Ends: 30 June 2006 Value (£): 20,048
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Med.Instrument.Device& Equip.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is the only way that paralysed limbs can be exercised for the maintenance of health. We have projects to demonstrate the health benefits of FES-cycling, FES-rowing, and to develop commercial systems for these activities. FES has always been seen as a collection of methods for patient rehabilitation, basically medical, and has largely been provided to patients as a treatment in hospital or supplied by hospitals for everyday use. It is our conviction that for FES-exercise to become widely-used, to the health benefit of people with spinal cord injury and probably stroke, these activities must become sports or recreations, and should be done independent of hospital supervision. Indeed, the disabled must take it over from the researchers.To promote this idea, we propose to organise an FES-Sports Festival at about Easter 2006. This will cause a big impact because the largest number of FES-cyclists (up to 15) should be well-trained from our international trial (London, Glasgow, Switzerland) at that time. We will invite FES-athletes from all over the world, especially from the groups in Vienna, Munich and Amsterdam for cycling and rowing events. Local FES rowers will race against some overseas competitors via the internet, with the results projected onto a big screen. We also intend to stage an on-water FES-rowing event involving suitably trained individuals. We intend to have a whole day of events that range from races through test of skill (slalom) to 'triathlon'-type events such as racing/archery/slalom. Spinal Cord Injured and other disabled people will be invited as spectators and to the social events. We would seek wide media coverage.The aim is to make the possibility of FES-sport widely known and to foster its development, with new products, support services, and as an practicable aspiration for SCI people.
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