Orthopus
"Your moves, your rules. Take control."
Nantes maker of the Supporter, a CE Class I powered arm support offsetting up to 4 kg on a wheelchair or table, designed open-source with its users.
"ORTHOPUS is a French assistive-robotics manufacturer in Nantes that builds powered arm-support devices for people who have lost the strength or range of motion to lift their own arms. It is registered as a simplified joint-stock company under SIREN 843 788 811, was incorporated on 15 November 2018 at 6 rue de Saint-Domingue in Nantes, and remains active with share capital of EUR 162,834 and a reported headcount in the 10 to 19 range. Founder and president David Gouaillier is a robotics PhD and a co-creator of the NAO humanoid robot, and he has led the company since incorporation.
The shipping product is the ORTHOPUS Supporter, a motorised arm support that applies a compensation force adjustable from 0 to 4 kg, offloading the weight of the user's own arm so that vertical movement becomes possible again. It mounts on a powered wheelchair or on a table, the table version running from mains power. Two operating modes are offered: a fixed mode that holds a chosen position, and a free mode that follows the user's movement with continuous support. Control is by a two-button remote using ultra-light switches, chosen so that users with very limited force can still actuate it. The device weighs 4.17 kg, measures at most 709 by 211 mm, and is built from aluminium, plastic and stainless steel. It is CE marked as a Class I medical device and sells from EUR 9,750 including tax. French social security does not reimburse it, but it qualifies for PCH technical-aid funding through the departmental disability offices, and ERGO-DIFFUSION of Rennes distributes it in France. Two further devices are announced: the ORTHOPUS Partner for multidirectional arm movement, and the ORTHOPUS Explorer for grasping and object handling, still in development.
The company's method is unusual for a medical device maker. It designs with the people who will use the devices rather than for them, builds from 3D printing and low-cost materials to hold prices down, and publishes its solutions under open-source licences as a common good so they can be replicated and adapted elsewhere. That approach won it the French National Disability Conference label Tous concernes, tous mobilises for 2018 to 2020. Its stated audience runs from children of seven to adults of seventy-seven, reached through occupational therapists, healthcare providers and distributors as well as directly.
Funding began with roughly EUR 500,000 raised within months of launch alongside three partners including a non-governmental organisation. On 9 February 2023 the company closed a EUR 2 million seed round backed by Bpifrance and, as a strategic investor, Enchanted Tools - the robotics company founded by Jerome Monceaux, another co-creator of NAO. The proceeds were earmarked for European commercial expansion, supply-chain consolidation, hiring in production, industrialisation and sales, clinical trials, and an application for French social-security reimbursement."
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact Orthopus
WEBSITE
https://orthopus.com/HEADQUARTERS
France
Company Facts
Founded
2018
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
employees 10-50
Primary Region
-
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Early-Stage VC
Funding Total
-
Certifications & Memberships
