INCLUSYS wants to make life easier for people with cognitive impairments with a smart watch that does more than just tell the time. The “Zeitkompass” smartwatch brings structure to everyday life and helps to keep track of time - for more independence and less stress.
The start-up company INCLUSYS specializes in supporting people with cognitive impairments such as ADHD and autism as well as children who are not yet able to read the clock. Its main product “Zeitkompass” is a smartwatch designed to make time orientation and time management easier for these target groups. For many of those affected, it is a daily challenge to keep track of the daily routine - either because they cannot read the clock correctly or because they have difficulty organizing routines and appointments. “This is exactly where we want to start with our technology and make everyday life more structured and stress-free for those affected,” says Hauke Wendt, founder of the company.
INCLUSYS began as a student project at the University of Würzburg in the “Human-Computer Systems” degree program. Co-founder Wendt brought a personal motivation to the development of the start-up: “My brother, who suffers from epilepsy, repeatedly had difficulties with time orientation and organizing his everyday life,” he explains. This personal experience gave rise to the idea of developing a technology to help people with similar challenges. It began as a university project and quickly developed into a larger project that resulted in the smartwatch - a solution that effectively supports people with cognitive impairments.
Zeitkompass is a specially developed smartwatch that supports people with cognitive impairments in everyday life. Who is it particularly suitable for? People with severe ADHD, for example, often have difficulty keeping track of their day and sticking to a schedule. Zeitkompass helps them visualize structured daily schedules, which promotes their sense of time without overwhelming them with superfluous information. Clear structures and predictability in everyday life are also particularly important for people on the autism spectrum. The product also offers visual support to help them prepare for changes in their daily routine. In addition, many younger children are of course not yet able to read traditional watches. The smartwatch uses simple symbols and visual cues to show them what happens next and help them develop a sense of time. And people with cognitive impairments, such as epileptics, also often have difficulty grasping complex time information. By highlighting activities and focusing on time orientation, the watch supports their independence.
Overall, Zeitkompass helps these groups to better organize their daily lives and develop a sense of security and structure. Thanks to its user-friendly visualization, it clearly displays daily schedules, highlights current activities and also allows users to see how long a task will take. This improves time orientation and helps to organize the day in a more structured way.
“Compared to conventional, analogue aids, Time Compass looks modern and unobtrusive, which is particularly important for children, as the watch is not stigmatizing,” says Wendt. The smartwatch is also interactive and adapts to the user's individual needs - a major advantage over rigid, analog systems.
In addition to the smartwatch, INCLUSYS is already launching a tablet app that offers users initial digital support in their everyday lives. The app can be used to create and visualize daily plans, which can then be easily read and implemented by users. The founder explains: “The app is designed to be easy to use, even without prior technical knowledge, and offers the same benefits as the planned smartwatch, especially when it comes to structuring and organizing daily routine.” This first product by INCLUSYS is an important step in helping the target group plan their daily lives now, while the development of the smartwatch continues to progress. The app is now available in a free trial version for iPads and Android tablets, so the system can be tried out without obligation.
Zeitkompass has already undergone extensive pilot studies in collaboration with the University of Würzburg and partner institutions such as the ZFK Würzburg to validate its effectiveness. In these tests, the smartwatch was used by people with cognitive impairments in everyday situations to improve their time orientation and understanding of daily routines. “The results were impressive,” says Wendt. “Before using Zeitkompass, only 38% of the test subjects were able to correctly name upcoming and past activities. With the smartwatch, the result rose to 93%.” This is a significant improvement in time orientation and time management. These results show that Zeitkompass makes everyday life easier for users and offers demonstrable support in managing time better.
INCLUSYS has already taken part in various accelerator programs, such as Campus Founders in Heilbronn and XPLORE Market Pioneer in Munich. These programs support the startup in professionally preparing for market entry and further developing the product. It is important for the company to integrate Zeitkompass into the SHI list of medical aids. This will make the smartwatch available via health insurance companies in the future. “This could make the product financially accessible for people with cognitive impairments without users having to bear high costs themselves,” says Wendt. High social standards and technological expertise go hand in hand at INCLUSYS.