ParkService a market validation project on an existing prototype service (also called ParkService) offering telematic support for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) living at home.

People with PD quickly become excluded both due to the general effects of disability and age and also because of disabling symptoms peculiar to PD. In particular, people with PD suffer from periods of limited mobility or paralysis which have a severe effect on their physical and emotional health, leading to social exclusion. Through ParkService, people with PD are provided with INDIGO, a simple to use, wearable aid. By targeting specific effects of PD, INDIGO acts as a mobility aid, using tailored visual stimulation to dramatically increase mobility in suitable users.

In this use INDIGO builds upon an earlier IST project, PARREHA, and can achieve startling results – allowing people to walk where before they were paralysed. Moreover ParkService extends support to sources of exclusion not specific to PD by providing home connectivity to specialised carers and other off-line services such as symptom diaries.

In May 2003 the PARREHA consortium formed ParkAid, a start-up company whose sole aim is to exploit INDIGO and build a supporting service around it (ParkService). This project brings together people with PD, clinicians, ParkAid and former members of Parreha to pilot ParkService in Italy, Germany, UK and Greece.

The objective is to use the feedback from pilots

1. to validate the prototype service with all user groups,
2. to build a sound plan for business development and
3. to refine and localise the prototype service across many member states.

ParkService is receiving funding for market validation from eTen (Contract 517382)