LUMEN

LUMEN is a wearable rehabilitation system for people recovering from Bell’s palsy. During the first weeks of recovery, the face may look unchanged even though the muscles have already started responding. Without visible progress, many patients lose confidence, question their recovery, and gradually stop performing the exercises essential for rehabilitation, while therapists rely largely on observation to assess small changes. Inspired by my mother’s recovery journey, I worked with patients, physiotherapists, neurologists, and rehabilitation clinics to understand both the emotional and clinical challenges of facial rehabilitation. The project evolved from an EMG visualization concept into a self-positioning wearable with a companion app that uses surface EMG, real-time biofeedback, and recovery analytics to transform hidden muscle activity into clear progress, guided exercises, therapist insights, and long-term recovery tracking, making rehab more objective, engaging, reassuring.