AESCU

Smart insoles that learn how I move and help me move better.

I’m developing AESCU, a smart insole concept designed to support people as they relearn or improve the way they walk.

By combining movement sensors, artificial intelligence and personalised feedback, my aim is to transform the shoes people already wear into accessible rehabilitation tools.

AESCU is inspired by Asclepius, the ancient Greek symbol of healing and restoration. Its purpose is simple: to help make every step safer, stronger and more confident.

The problem I want to address

When I was recovering from a traumatic brain injury, I had to relearn how to talk, remember, read, write and, most challenging of all, walk.

Walking rehabilitation was difficult, repetitive and often frustrating. Support during a physiotherapy appointment could be invaluable, but recovery continued long after each session ended. Between appointments, it was much harder to know whether I was moving correctly, improving or reinforcing an unhelpful pattern.

This problem affects many people recovering from neurological conditions, strokes, surgery and physical injuries. It can also affect older people and anyone experiencing changes in balance, strength or mobility.

I began asking whether technology could provide more useful support during everyday movement.

My idea

AESCU is being developed as an AI-powered smart insole that could fit inside ordinary footwear, particularly trainers.

Sensors within the insole could collect information about:

This information could be sent to a connected mobile application, where it could be analysed to identify patterns in the way someone walks.

Rather than only recording movement, my ambition is for AESCU to provide personalised guidance. Audio, visual or vibration-based feedback could help someone adjust their movement, practise rehabilitation exercises and follow their progress over time.

Why an insole?

My original idea began as a smart rehabilitation shoe, but it has since evolved into an insole.

The change matters because footwear is personal.

My background in fashion taught me that function and self-expression cannot always be separated. Shoes affect how people feel, how they present themselves and how confidently they move through the world.

During my own recovery, I did not simply want to walk again. I wanted to be able to wear heels again. They represented personality, confidence and a connection to the person I had been before my injury.

An insole allows the technology to support the wearer without unnecessarily determining what their shoes should look like. Instead of asking someone to replace their identity with a clinical-looking product, AESCU could bring rehabilitation into footwear they already feel comfortable wearing.

Beyond measuring movement

Existing smart insoles and wearable devices can collect valuable information about pressure, balance and gait. I want to explore how that information could become active, personalised support.

The longer-term concept is a system that could:

  1. Observe how an individual walks.
  2. Identify changes or areas requiring support.
  3. Provide appropriate feedback during movement.
  4. Adapt exercises and guidance as the person progresses.
  5. Help the individual and their physiotherapist understand recovery over time.

The aim is not to replace physiotherapists. It is to investigate how technology might extend appropriate support beyond appointments and help people remain engaged with rehabilitation in everyday life.

Designed from lived experience

I bring together a background in fashion design, product development, business and wearable technology with my own experience of rehabilitation.

That combination shapes how I approach AESCU. I understand that a successful product must do more than collect technically accurate data. It must also be comfortable, accessible, understandable and designed around the person using it.

I’m not approaching this only as a designer looking at a problem from the outside. I’m developing an idea that responds to something I have needed myself.

Where the project is now

AESCU is currently at the research and concept-development stage.

My next steps include:

Clinical, technical and user testing will be essential before the concept can make reliable claims about improving rehabilitation or mobility.

My longer-term vision

I imagine a future in which AESCU can learn how each person moves and adapt its support as their needs change.

With careful research and development, the technology could potentially support remote rehabilitation, enable physiotherapists to review progress between appointments and identify meaningful changes in someone’s gait earlier.

Ultimately, I want to explore how intelligent technology can help people move with greater confidence, strength and independence.

AESCU is still at the beginning of its journey, and I’m currently looking to connect with people who may be able to contribute to its development, particularly:

Explore the project in more detail

I have created a private pitch deck for potential collaborators, advisers, researchers and development partners.

The deck explores the problem, proposed solution, underlying technology, market opportunity, competitive landscape and roadmap for AESCU in greater detail.

Access is password protected because the project remains in development and the deck contains commercially sensitive information.

If you would like to discuss the project or request access, please connect with me on LinkedIn.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

I’m designing AESCU around a simple belief: every step towards greater independence matters.