IIT Gandhinagar Startup Oreejoy Wins Boeing BUILD National Finals for AI-Powered Wearable Device
Gandhinagar: IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN) startup Oreejoy Medtech Private Limited has won the Boeing BUILD National Finals, securing a ₹10 lakh grant to further develop its AI-powered wearable technology for mobility assessment and rehabilitation.
The achievement comes in the fifth edition of Boeing BUILD (University Innovation Leadership Development Program), which received around 2,200 applications from across India. A total of 28 teams were shortlisted for the National Finals, with seven teams ultimately selected for the grant.
The programme supports early-stage startups through structured learning, mentorship, incubator support and industry expertise. Innovators participating in the programme worked across areas including technology, social impact, sustainability, aerospace and defence.
IIT Gandhinagar’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IIEC) was among the seven incubator partners supporting the programme.
AI-powered wearable technology for mobility assessment
Oreejoy has developed a wearable insole that combines pressure sensing, signal processing and artificial intelligence to analyse walking patterns and assess mobility.
The technology is designed to help assess gait and mobility in healthy individuals as well as people living with neurological disorders. Its applications extend to areas such as diagnosis, rehabilitation and continuous monitoring.
The startup's platform already uses personalised sensory cues to assist walking in people with Parkinson’s disease, with potential applications in broader neurological rehabilitation.
The technology could also contribute to the growing AI-driven healthcare ecosystem in Gujarat by making mobility assessment and rehabilitation technologies more accessible outside specialised clinical environments.
Decade of research behind Oreejoy’s technology
Oreejoy’s technology has emerged from nearly a decade of research and clinical collaborations across India.
Prof. Uttama Lahiri, Founder and Technical Director of Oreejoy and Professor in IITGN’s Department of Electrical Engineering, said the journey began after his return to India in 2012, when he started working on mobility disorders affecting people with Parkinson’s disease and stroke.
At the time, gait analysis largely depended on expensive and bulky pressure-sensitive walkways and camera-based systems. According to Prof. Lahiri, commercial systems could cost approximately ₹25 lakh to ₹65 lakh and required specialised facilities.
This led the research team to explore whether similar information could be captured through a wearable system that could be brought closer to patients—and potentially used by any individual.
The team subsequently mapped pressure patterns beneath the foot to identify critical points for quantifying gait, laying the foundation for INSTROLE, a lightweight wearable insole.
INSTROLE captures walking and balance data
The INSTROLE insole uses embedded pressure sensors to measure how weight shifts beneath the foot, how the foot strikes the ground and how gait changes over time.
The collected information is recorded on an edge device and can be wirelessly transmitted to the cloud for secure storage, processing and analysis.
An accompanying INSTROLE app converts the measurements into accessible insights for both users and clinicians.
Users can access summaries of their walking and balance performance, while clinicians can examine detailed gait patterns to support assessment, monitoring and rehabilitation decisions.
By combining wearable sensing, cloud connectivity and an intuitive interface, the patented technology seeks to extend gait analytics beyond conventional specialised clinical systems.
Focus on affordability and user experience
Dr Neelesh Sharma, Co-founder and Design Director of Oreejoy, said that the technology has been developed with a strong focus on user needs, comfort and everyday usability.
The startup aims to create a system that is technologically advanced while remaining practical and accessible.
According to the company, its wearable approach can help reduce the cost of gait-analysis technology by around 80 percent.
The emphasis on affordability could make mobility assessment more accessible to healthcare settings that may not have the resources required for conventional gait-analysis infrastructure.
Research and clinical collaborations across India
Oreejoy’s early development was supported by an interdisciplinary workshop at IITGN that brought together researchers, clinicians, students and technology developers to identify healthcare challenges and develop collaborations across Saurashtra and beyond.
Since then, around 300 individuals have participated in studies conducted across Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and New Delhi.
IITGN’s research facilities, Tinkerer’s Lab and Research Park support have further helped Oreejoy expand its work into areas including post-stroke rehabilitation, flat-foot assessment and osteoarthritis.
The startup is also exploring potential applications of its technology in sports.
Technology aimed at improving quality of life
For Oreejoy’s founders, the ultimate measure of the technology lies in its potential to improve people's quality of life.
The startup has highlighted experiences from its clinical work where mobility improvements have helped patients perform everyday activities with greater confidence.
One example involves a 75-year-old patient who initially arrived with his grandchild and a walking stick but was later able to cross the busy road outside the hospital independently.
Such experiences have strengthened Oreejoy’s objective of making effective mobility diagnostics and rehabilitation more accessible.
Boeing BUILD grant to support next stage of development
The ₹10 lakh Boeing BUILD grant is expected to help Oreejoy advance its AI-enabled solutions for rehabilitation and explore applications for sports and active lifestyles.
The startup plans to build on its existing wearable and AI capabilities to support patients undergoing rehabilitation as well as sports enthusiasts.
The recognition at the Boeing BUILD National Finals marks another milestone in Oreejoy’s journey from academic research to healthcare technology development, while highlighting the potential of IIT Gandhinagar’s startup ecosystem to translate research into real-world solutions.
Key Details
- Startup: Oreejoy Medtech Private Limited
- Institution: IIT Gandhinagar
- Achievement: Winner, Boeing BUILD National Finals
- Grant: ₹10 lakh
- Technology: AI-powered wearable insole
- Core applications: Mobility assessment and rehabilitation
- Product: INSTROLE
- Key technology: Pressure sensing, signal processing and AI
- Research areas: Parkinson’s disease, stroke rehabilitation, flat-foot assessment and osteoarthritis
- Participants in studies: Around 300 individuals
- Study locations: Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and New Delhi
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