CoMotion: shared motion, restored control

CoMotion is a wearable, non-invasive system allowing remote guidance of a person’s movements using safe, targeted electrical stimulation, empowering caregivers to assist with rehab and daily tasks.

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Inspiration

We were inspired by the idea of giving mobility and agency to people who don’t have it—and doing it in a way that doesn’t rely on invasive surgery or expensive robotics. With the theme of “Supercharge”, we asked: What if someone with limited movement could be “supercharged” by a trusted companion remotely guiding them?

That led us to build CoMotion, a remote-controlled, non-invasive human augmentation system using TENS and GVS stimulation.

What it does

CoMotion is a wearable system that lets one person remotely control another’s physical movement in real time.

  • TENS units stimulate the biceps to produce arm movement.
  • Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) influences walking direction.
  • A keyboard or controller sends movement commands.
  • A third-person video stream gives the operator a clear view for safe, accurate control.

The system can assist people with disabilities, enable remote physical therapy, or let a trusted person help someone move with confidence.

How we built it

We prototyped safe, repeatable TENS and GVS circuits that could be triggered via microcontroller.

  • Custom signal mappings translated keyboard inputs into muscle and balance stimulation.
  • We used a body-mounted camera for wireless third-person video streaming.
  • Everything is battery-powered, wearable, and designed for comfort and flexibility.

We iterated quickly, testing on one team member to refine calibration, timing, and movement accuracy.

Challenges we ran into

  • Calibrating GVS was difficult—it affects balance differently depending on posture and strength.
  • Ensuring safety and comfort required lots of tuning and simulation of the circuits.
  • Integrating controller input with timed stimulation was tricky to avoid false triggers.
  • Making the system wearable and low-latency pushed our prototyping limits.
  • Making serial connection reliable and consistent
  • Setting up infrastructure for high quality video streaming via peer to peer connection

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a fully functional remote-control system for human motion using safe, non-invasive tech.
  • Successfully demonstrated remote walking and arm movement control.
  • Delivered an end-to-end system with controller, video, and real-time feedback.
  • Kept the system affordable and replicable for future development.

What we learned

  • How to safely use TENS and GVS in creative, controlled applications.
  • How to unify hardware, wireless video, and real-time control in a working prototype.
  • How to effectively integrate a hardware-software system from start to finish

What's next for CoMotion?

  • Add a user-friendly GUI for control mapping and safety controls.
  • Implement real-time feedback sensing, such as proximity sensors to map the environment
  • Explore clinical applications for physical therapy and mobility support.
  • Create a universal "suit" that the patient can use more easily.

We see CoMotion as a step toward a future where mobility and independence are enhanced by technology, not limited by the body.

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