Big Ideas That Might Change The World: How Sofie Woge of Tendo Created A Robot Glove That Helps People With Limited Grip Function
By: Natalie Bishop
Tags: NASA, Founders, Healthtech, Startup, Tech

Let’s start from the beginning, what inspired you to found Tendo?

The very first product was created for astronauts, I created the concept whilst at NASA. I experienced some of the challenges that they had — astronauts had trouble using their hands in space and would exercise them by gripping tennis balls which didn’t really help enough. That was such an important part of everyday work and there was an immediate gap for innovation there. I understood how important it was and whilst I completed the NASA project with them in mind, I always wanted to work with people who couldn’t live the life that everyone else took for granted.

The issue was also personal to me as I have family members with rheumatic diseases so I can imagine the effects on everyday life if they cannot use their hands. Having relatives who might need this type of product in the future gave me the idea of starting the company. Before I did that, I started to go out to patient organisations and I met so many people who needed this type of solution. After meeting them and seeing what types of options they have in life today — it was devastating to tell you the truth — I thought this is absolutely something I have to do and must make it available for them.

What does the product look like and how does the technology work?

The easiest way to describe it is as a glove that moves the fingers for you by pulling wires, similar to a puppeteer. Those wires run over your fingers and down over your hand. By pulling them in different directions, the hand opens or closes with added strength from the motors and mechanic system. How you control it is customised — we meet the user, they put the product on, we put sensors on and we tell them to try to grip. Even if they don’t actually have a grip, we record their ‘trying to grip’ signal. The technology recognises that this means grip, we tell them to relax, then the technology observes what it means to relax. That personalised information is then stored within our product.

What groups of people can Tendo’s technology help?

The overall target market for the future is people with gripping limitations caused by something you’re born with, by an injury, arthritis or a stroke — there are many things that can cause limited grip strength. About 5% of the global population have this problem, so the potential to help people is enormous.

We’re starting with spinal cord injuries because those people’s needs are so extreme compared with, for example, a person with arthritis who can do basic everyday activities like eating and drinking. They would need the product to do more desired activities, thereby increasing their quality of life, but a person with a spinal cord injury might not even be able to do the basic ones, so their need is greater. We are aiming to create a strong sales traction to fund further research and development. In the long run, we definitely want to include a lot more target groups — many many more.

So could this technology be used for other body parts?

It definitely has great potential for the whole human body, one limb at a time, but we’re strictly focusing on the hand until it’s out on the market. We really are starting with the most difficult part. To move a shoulder, a knee or an elbow feels like a walk in the park compared to the hand. We will continue to go out to patient organisations and really dig deep into people’s specific needs before we choose where to go next.

You said in your TedTalk that you had some personal struggles and that when you gave yourself the space to innovate, the idea was born. Can you tell us about that?

Yeah, sure! I think it was that I was too much of a perfectionist, I was working really hard and once I slowed down I was forced to step back in every way. I was forced to let everything take its time a bit more and it allowed me to be creative in a way that I’ve never tried before. I limited myself and took out everything else in life and only did what I needed to and wanted to.

One of the things that gave me the idea is the NASA motto, ‘failure is not an option’. My lecturer from university in Sweden was very clear that I should make sure that failure IS an option. I felt that this was my time to do that; to be allowed to completely fail at something. From that acceptance, I could become a lot more creative and a lot more open minded.

What was your experience at NASA like?

The first time I was there, it was for a very organised course. We had our times, schedules and meetings organised the way they normally are. The second time I went, for my Master’s degree project, I was more of a guest there and I got appointed a mentor. You can’t really walk around by yourself at NASA — it’s regulated!

So I got a mentor who met me a couple of times per day throughout the two weeks I was there. He asked me what I needed, booked appointments and took me to offices to introduce me to people. Even if they weren’t prepared for me to visit, they really took their time, stopped with what they were doing and were interested in my ideas — they wanted to hear more and were extremely open with their support. I had a whole team from the soft goods lab and an amazing meeting with NASA’s engineering team behind a similar technology they were working on to discuss, for example, why they chose specific motors and why I had chosen another. To be a student in Sweden going to NASA and getting that kind of support is really mind-blowing.

That sounds amazing! So where are you in your startup journey, are you getting ready to launch?

We were supposed to have a lot of user tests this year but these have been affected by Covid-19. Clinics have closed for these kinds of tests and our target group falls into the risk group as if you have a spinal cord injury, you can have very limited lung capacity. We don’t want to expose anyone unnecessarily and we are figuring out how we can do the tests in a safe environment once the clinics open up again. We were supposed to launch into the market at the end of this year or the beginning of next, but as we have had to postpone user tests, we will probably have to postpone the market introduction as well.

We have come a long way and even if we are a little slowed down now, we have a fourth version of the prototype and some successful user stories we can continue to work from and learn from. As a medical device, it takes a long time and costs more money than consumer electronics. Considering that, three to four years is still pretty quick so it feels okay to be a bit delayed, although I’d love to say we’re finally on the market. I’m really looking forward to that day!

How has your experience as a founder been, especially launching into a sector that you weren’t overly familiar with?

To start a business in the medical industry with robotics is quite a crazy decision in a way! I think for me, it’s always been about an idea that could change people’s lives — and then the rest I’ve had to adapt to afterwards.

Before the current technology was set, my first goal was to investigate how the design could minimise the feeling of being limited as well as maximise the function. So the combination of aesthetics and the mental aspect of the medical device was just as important as the technology itself. From that perspective, I started to dig into what function is needed and found that, apparently, I had to become an expert in robotics and the medical industry! The idea and the vision inspired — and forced — me to do that.

My motto has always been to take it three months at a time, I try it out for three months and I learn whatever I can learn and if it doesn’t work I can change the strategy, or continue in the same way. If you divide it like that, it doesn’t feel as challenging if you are doing something you have no idea how to do.

What is your proudest achievement considering that you achieved so much so far?

I think one of the biggest is that I did it — that I overcame challenges and started a company. I think that I was just as proud to go on the stage in front of just 10 people at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey as I was giving a TedTalk in front of potentially, millions of viewers online.

The happiest day so far was the first user test in the first user workshop with a man who was able to eat and drink by himself for the first time in 20 years. He asked his personal assistant to go out and buy whiskey as he wanted to share some!