people with diabetes can relieve their pain with smart socks
ETH Zurich spin-off MYNERVA creates a smart sock that can help people with diabetes feel the ground again while walking. Named Leia, the device has electrodes sewn into it, which restores the user’s sensation to the foot sole as well as reduces their chronic pain. When the electrodes stimulate specific nerve strands, the body releases chemical messengers, and these block pain signals from traveling through the nervous system. A small tracker sits in the upper part of the sock, in the shaft section.
It is this part that receives data from the pressure sensors and converts it into electrical signals. The smart socks for people with diabetes also use AI that adjusts the electrical stimulation for each person who wears the device. It adjusts the stimulation based on external conditions, and the personalization means each user receives treatment that matches their specific needs. Around the wearable device lie pressure sensors built into the sole to measure how pressure distributes across the foot when the person walks.
image courtesy of ETH Zurich | photo by Michel Büchel
App controls the wearable device’s functionalities
The ETH Zurich spin-off MYNERVA has been developing Leia for five years, and throughout, they’ve kept all its prototype versions. The first prototype was an overshoe with wires. Then, later versions had Velcro, zips, or laces, while the current version looks like a regular sock. The early prototype had two cushions sewn into it, and they looked like the hairstyle of Princess Leia from Star Wars. Because of this, the team named the sock Leia. The smart socks for people with diabetes also connect to an app, so users can control their functionalities through it. So far, the company plans a soft launch in the US in 2027, then later on sell it in Switzerland, the UK, and the Middle East. In late 2025, the team is set to start a long-term study to test whether the Leia sock can prevent foot ulcers.
High blood sugar levels can damage nerves and the body’s blood vessels, including the calf nerve that carries signals from the foot sole to the brain. When diabetes damages this nerve, people lose feeling in their feet, so they cannot sense the ground properly when they walk, which makes them more likely to fall. They also don’t notice pressure points on their feet, which can lead to ulcers and wounds and, in severe cases, infections that end up in amputation. People with diabetic neuropathy also experience chronic pain, and doctors usually treat this pain with strong painkillers, but these can cause side effects and dependency. With the smart socks Leia, the company hopes that people with diabetes can restore their sole’s sensation and relieve their pain without using any medicines.
a small tracker sits in the upper part of the sock to receive data signals | photo by Michel Büchel
the device has electrodes around it | from here, images courtesy of MYNERVA
these electrodes restore the user’s sensation to the foot sole
view of the tracker on the wearable device
bottom view of the socks with the electrodes
the company plans a soft launch in the US in 2027
project info:
name: Leia
company: MYNERVA | @mynervamedical
institution: ETH Zurich | @ethzurich
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