To showcase the remarkable potential of people with physical disabilities, KAUST Professor Matteo Parsani will travel from the east to the west of Saudi Arabia by hand-bicycle. The journey aims to inspire and motivate people across the Kingdom to exercise more, prove what each of us are capable of with determination and devotion, and give back to Saudi Arabia, a country he calls home.

In 30 days, Matteo will cover over 3000 km (as a comparison, the Tour de France is approximately 3500 km), beginning in Dammam and ending on the KAUST campus. Matteo expects to transverse 150 km in 7 hours on each of his riding days. A number of wearable technologies developed by his KAUST colleagues will be monitoring his body for the entire journey. The data gathered is expected to guide new rehabilitation programs for people suffering from spinal cord injury or other mobility impairments as well as demonstrate the technology coming out of KAUST.

Wearables developed by KAUST Smart-Health Initiative affiliated PIs

The journey will integrate the use of innovative products aimed at ensuring his safety and tracking his health and physical status in real time. The products — a helmet, jacket and shirt embedded with advanced biosensors — have been developed by a team of KAUST researchers and scientists within their cutting-edge lab facilities. The research effort is led by Dean Gianluca Setti, Prof. Nazek Elatab, Prof. Atif Shamim, Prof. Khaled Salama, Prof. Ahmed Eltawil, and Prof. Mohamed-Slim Alouini.

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