Negami
My Role: Technical Project Lead and Sole Developer
Technologies
Project Overview
Negami is an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) application designed to support stroke rehabilitation for patients suffering from spatial neglect. Initially developed in collaboration with University Clinic Tübingen, the app provides engaging and effective therapy by leveraging AR and gamification techniques. Unlike traditional neglect therapy methods, Negami allows patients to interact with virtual objects in their real-world environment, creating a more immersive and motivating experience.
Negami started as an academic project and evolved into a fully-fledged, independent application with growing adoption in clinics worldwide. With over 260 clinics and patients pre-registered, it has gained significant traction in the healthcare community.
My Role
As the sole developer and technical project lead, I was responsible for every aspect of the project, from initial conception to deployment and beyond. My contributions included:
- Full-Cycle Development: Designed and implemented the entire app using Xamarin (later migrated to .NET MAUI), ensuring a seamless experience across iOS and Android.
- Cloud Synchronization: Developed a cloud sync system using Dotmim.Sync and Azure Blob Storage, allowing offline use with automatic data backup.
- Augmented Reality Features: Integrated ARKit (iOS) and ARCore (Android) to provide an interactive therapy experience tailored for neglect patients.
- Migration to .NET MAUI: Successfully transitioned the app from Xamarin to .NET MAUI, ensuring long-term maintainability and improved cross-platform performance.
- Patient Progress Tracking: Developed analytics features that allow therapists to track patient improvement over time.
- Voice Assistant Integration: Implemented an offline-capable voice assistant, allowing hands-free interaction for patients with mobility impairments.
- Clinical Validation: Partnered with researchers to validate the effectiveness of the app, resulting in published research demonstrating that one week of using Negami significantly improves neglect symptoms.
Beyond technical development, I also managed business development, marketing, and customer support, handling interactions with clinics and researchers worldwide.
Technical Project Description
Negami is a mobile AR application built on a modern cross-platform tech stack:
- Frontend: .NET MAUI (previously Xamarin), using the Prism framework for maintainable MVVM architecture.
- Augmented Reality: ARKit (iOS) and ARCore (Android), integrating custom-built bindings for Android AR support.
- Data Storage & Sync:
- Local: SQLite for offline data storage.
- Cloud: Azure Blob Storage for synchronization and backup, using Dotmim.Sync to enable seamless syncing across devices.
- User Interface:
- Built with Syncfusion UI components for a responsive, touch-friendly experience.
- Optimized for accessibility, including voice control and hands-free navigation.
- Testing & Reliability:
- Unit & Integration Testing: Moq, xUnit, AutoMock for robust test coverage.
- Observability & Logging: Integrated Serilog, UXCam, and AppCenter for performance monitoring and crash reporting.
Challenges
Developing a medical AR app for stroke therapy came with significant challenges:
- Cross-Platform AR Development: Supporting AR on both iOS and Android required custom bindings for ARCore, as native support was unavailable in Xamarin at the time.
- Performance Optimization: AR applications are resource-intensive; I optimized rendering and background processing to ensure a smooth user experience on standard tablets.
- Cloud Sync & Offline Use: The app had to work entirely offline, yet sync patient progress to the cloud when a connection was available.
- Regulatory & Clinical Validation: Ensuring compliance with medical research standards while maintaining usability for non-technical therapists.
- Migration from Xamarin to .NET MAUI: The transition was necessary for long-term maintainability but required substantial code refactoring and UI adjustments.
Achievements
Negami has been recognized globally as an innovative solution for neglect therapy:
- 🏆 Winner of the Research Prize of the German Brain Foundation, highlighting its impact on stroke rehabilitation.
- 🌍 260+ clinics and researchers pre-registered across 20+ countries, including the US, Germany, Canada, Italy, Australia, and Sweden.
- 📖 Published in top medical and AI conferences and journals, proving its effectiveness through clinical studies.
- 🔄 Successfully migrated from Xamarin to .NET MAUI, ensuring long-term maintainability and support for future features.
Current Status
Negami is now in its final release phase, following successful clinical trials and beta testing in multiple hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The app is set to be publicly available soon, providing AR-based therapy for neglect patients worldwide.
For more details, visit Negami’s website.
