Lusio Rehab

The Origin

Our journey began with a single child called, Arshia, a 5 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Arshia had a familiar problem for so many kids with CP.

He had a wonderful clinician, prescribing a critical home therapy program, but he struggled with the motivation to carry out the boring routines.

His Doctor knew this so he approached our Head of Tech Armin and asked him if there was anything he could do to help motivate Arshia.~

So, Armin, a robotic engineer by trade, got thinking, what would motivate a 5 year old boy.  Cars, he thought, boys love cars! Armin got to work. He took an off the shelf remote controlled car and he developed a fairly crude prototype that would move when Arshia performed extension/flexion of his wrist.  Arshia absolutely loved it!!! 

This really was the Eureka moment for the inception of Lusio, but how was it that this wonderful therapeutic breakthrough for young Arshia became the foundation for a small start-up business in Sydney Australia?

The Move to Australia

Not long after developing the remote-control car to motivate Arshia with his home therapy, Armin relocated to Australia, first moving to Adelaide before finally landing in Sydney.

After some wonderful serendipity he wound up working with Justin in the world of recruitment, in the summer of 2016. Justin, at that time, was specialising in recruitment in the tech sector and was introduced to Armin by Chris, who, also in recruitment, had himself interviewed Armin for a sales role.

Chris felt that Armin’s robotic engineering background meant that he had to meet Justin and, after some gentle persuasion, Armin accepted a role working with Justin as a tech adviser, vetting prospective candidates. 

If truth be told, when Justin first offered him the role, Armin was not at all convinced it was right for him, but the fact that his aircon wasn’t working at home, and it was so hot that day, he decided to accept a trial nonetheless. For the sake of some short-term comfort, and of course unbeknown to the key players at the time, another step was taken towards Lusio.

Lusio Rehab is Born

Suffice to say, an excellent working relationship developed, and indeed a friendship blossomed.  It was only in passing one day that Armin happened to tell both Chris and Justin about his experience of gamifying physical therapy, and the charming story of Arshia back in Iran. Chris and Justin were immediately swayed by the potential for this crude remote-controlled car to help thousands of others like Arshia.  Furthermore, they knew that between them, in the world of recruitment, they had a huge network of people who could help them realise this dream.  With that conversation Lusio Rehab was born.

A Remarkable Sequence of Events

Serendipity continued to play a part through the early days of the new venture.  It was a meeting with an entrepreneur, who had happened to walk past a meeting room in which Chris, Justin and Armin were discussing their next steps, that led the young Lusio Rehab to submit a presentation to the Remarkable Tech accelerator program. An incredible program, the first accelerator for early-stage startups creating technology to positively impact life for people with disability.

That presentation was successful and Lusio Rehab was selected for, and completed, the Remarkable 16-week incubator, which provided a platform for constant testing and iteration of our technology, working directly with children aged 4-9 years of age living with CP. So many amazing and inspiring kids, fuelling our passion and desire to make the technology work for them, and the many others like them for who it could benefit.

Lusio Rehab and the CPA

As a result of this program, Lusio Rehab was also incredibly lucky to have had the support of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA), who provided the much need clinical governance in the early stages of the invention.  The CPA continues to be a champion of our technology, and we are delighted that so many CPA clinicians are using LusioMATE with their clients to help motivate their achievement of vital physical therapy goals. Alongside this wonderful support of the CPA we are proud that LusioMATE is being used by clients in Hospitals, Allied Health Groups, Physio and Occupational Therapy clinics, as well as directly with clients through the NDIS, insurance companies and Workcover.

The Story Goes On...

Our story is still being told, and our journey is one that will never be over.  Our mission, as set out very early in our development, is to help people find freedom through movement. We believe our technology, combined with our passion and creativity, can help make physical therapy fun, accessible and measurable for both clinicians and players, wherever they are in the world.

Justin leads the Commercialisation, Customer Experience, and Operations divisions. With deep-rooted connections at the clinical practice level, he has been pivotal in ensuring Lusio's adherence to its core ethos: being crafted by clinicians and players, for clinicians and players.

One of Justin's notable achievements at Lusio includes cultivating strong relationships with clinical partners worldwide. This focus on customer engagement and rigorous LusioMATE testing underscores his unwavering commitment to extending Lusio's reach. By adeptly bridging the business and product development teams, he has facilitated the incorporation of essential features into Lusio products, directly stemming from customer feedback.

A significant aspect of Justin's role involves overseeing crucial business governance components. This encompasses achieving NDIS provider status, managing patent applications, and ensuring regulatory compliance with entities such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, CE, and FDA. These facets are testament to his broad yet detailed-oriented leadership at Lusio Technology.

Robin is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with experience spanning diverse industries. He began his career in marketing, sales promotion, and advertising in London. Afterward, he transitioned into ESL teaching in Australia, further diversifying his skill set. Currently, as the Communications Manager for Lusio Rehab, Robin is responsible for steering the company's communication strategy.

Over the years, Robin has excelled in creating and implementing successful marketing campaigns, delivering high-quality education, and managing both internal and external communications for Lusio Rehab. Among his significant contributions to the company, he has built and currently oversees the Lusio Rehab CRM using Salesforce. Robin also initiated and is managing the ongoing Lusio brand development project. Further adding to his credentials, he established the Lusio Rehab social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram from the ground up, ensuring the company has a consistent and effective online presence.

A qualified nurse for almost 20 years, working mainly in ICU and critical care roles, Jamie brings a vast amount of clinical, hospital and more recently medico-legal experience to the Lusio Team. As a clinical nurse Jamie was always passionate about delivering the highest quality care to patients. Jamie brings this passion to his work at Lusio Rehab through the long-lasting relationships and support to Lusio Rehab’s users and their families, as well as our partner organisations which include world-renowned hospitals, charities, clinics and academic institutions.

Jamie joined the team in March 2020 and leads on helping organisations and users in the UK, Europe and the Middle East access LusioMATE and also works on research projects with our UK-based academic partners. Jamie’s medico-legal experience also contributes significantly to Lusio Rehab’s continued regulatory compliance, where he works closely with Hossein Forooghi and Armin Songhori.

Completed a double major in Anatomy/Human Biology and Human Resources at the University of Western Australia in Perth and has recently completed a Doctoratetor of Physiotherapy Masters at Macquarie University in Sydney.

Patrick has a diverse work background including marketing, sales, tutoring, sports training and acting and at Lusio Rehab has become an integral part of the Therapy Support team and Sales Team.

Armin began his career as a Computer Engineer and later broadened his horizons with an MBA, transitioning him into the tech entrepreneurial space. He is the technical mastermind behind LusioMATE. The initial idea for LusioMATE was sparked by a request from a doctor friend seeking a motivational solution for a child's physical therapy adherence. This led to the creation of an initial prototype, which over time evolved into the LusioMATE we recognize today.

In his role as Product Lead at Lusio, Armin was at the forefront of the product's innovative roadmap and development. With his extensive technical background, he spearheaded a development team in integrating advanced technologies like IoT and AI/Machine Learning, resulting in a product that stands out for its superior user experience. Part of his responsibility was to identify and act on customer-centric opportunities, drawing from user feedback. This involved the development of prototypes, A/B testing, and subsequent conversion into new features or games. Noteworthy contributions include smart game recommendations using AI/Machine Learning, converting body movements into game inputs through IMU sensors and a patented 4-dimensional rotation coding algorithm, and predicting subscriber behaviours with Auto regression models.

Armin built and led a hybrid development team of six, operating in an agile/scrum setup, employing a range of tools and methodologies like Design Thinking, Double Diamond, and more. The technologies he developed are now actively used by over 5,000 clinicians and patients worldwide, a testament to his ability to transform an initial concept into a globally appreciated commercial product.

Peter has 40 years’ experience in the development and commercialisation of medical products. He is a cofounder and previous Committee Chairman of Aus MedTech, an industry organisation started to facilitate the development of Australian Medtech businesses, now a program of AusBiotech.

Peter is currently a non-executive director at Lusio Technology Pty Ltd following a number of years of involvement as an advisor. He worked with Johnson & Johnson for 14 years, in Australia and the USA as Director in the Corporate Office of Science & Technology. His responsibilities included sourcing and developing new external business opportunities for Johnson & Johnson.

Stephanie has a Bachelor Applied Science (Physiotherapy) (University of Sydney) and a Master of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy) (University of Sydney). She runs her own practice Neuroactive Rehabilitation and is also a Clinical Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Services at Macquarie University.

Stephanie has over 20 years of experience working in the field of Neurological Physiotherapy and is passionate about working with people who have a neurological condition and empowering them to realise their goals and optimise their function.

Particular areas of interest include maximising the function of the upper limb, improving walking ability and optimising fitness in the neurological population.

Stephanie is committed to progressing and implementing evidence-based practice and has been involved in research activities and the clinical education of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

As Clinical Lead to Lusio Rehab she plays a pivotal role in the continuing development of our technology through evidence based and lived experience feedback from her use of LusioMATE in the field.

Hossein holds a master’s degree in financial management. Beginning his career as an External Auditor over 18 years ago after completing his bachelor’s in accounting, he has since acquired extensive expertise in all facets of finance and accounting within various organisational structures. His diverse experience spans tech startups to multinational food producers and automobile manufacturers, equipping him to collaborate seamlessly with teams of varied backgrounds and expertise. Hossein is always eager to embrace new challenges and remains current with the latest regulations and compliance requirements intrinsic to his role. Joining Team Lusio in October 2017, he has since overseen Finance, Logistics, and Regulatory.