Digireha Inc. develops and offers digital tools for rehabilitation, developmental support, and educational settings. They have created approximately 35 apps so far. Yuki Oka, the CEO of Digireha Inc., believes their strength lies in the versatility of their products, which can be implemented across various facilities, including medical institutions, special needs schools, and special needs day care facilities. We asked him about their current work and what lies ahead.
Please tell us about the tool, Digireha.
Digital art transforming a standard rehabilitation routine into an engaging, gamified experience that intrinsically motivates users.
Digireha is a rehabilitation tool that utilizes digital art and sensors to support user’s rehabilitation process. With approachable artworks and pleasant user interactions, it’s designed to motivate users inherently.
The tool features five components that capture physical body movements: an online camera, eye-tracking sensors, a microphone, a wearable sensor, and a LiDAR sensor.
Core features of Digireha: Seamless integration of diverse sensors and highly flexible customization to meet every individual’s needs.
It can be handled by a broad range of individuals regardless of the degree of their disabilities, such as those who are severely impaired, highly active children, and seniors.
The tool’s app has a function that allows easy customization. For example, in the app that encourages users to touch and move an object, the movement can be set to a specific number of seconds to accommodate the user’s disability and situation. It’s these minor-sounding details, we believe, that make a major difference in motivation. How to inspire our users is an essential part of our research.
The concept behind the development was: “As we watch the single person in front of us, we also see the 2.4 billion people*1 behind them, across the world.” Digireha’s advantage lies in its versatility or the freedom it offers through its various sensors and its customizable app. We currently have 35 apps in use at 270 facilities, schools, and hospitals across Japan.
*1 “Globally, an estimated 2.4 billion people are currently living with a health condition that may benefit from rehabilitation.” (World Health Organization, Newsroom, Fact Sheets)
Once Digireha becomes popular, how do you envision society?
As a company, one of Digiriha’s goals is to enter the caregiving market with full commitment. The other goal concerns our subsidiary in Silicon Valley, which we opened to enter the global market. We are determined to start working with local facilities and medical institutions.
The word rehabilitation originally meant “the act of restoring to a suitable condition.” Said another way, it is “the holistic restoration of rights,” the right to live as a human being.
In the future, when Digireha is used in facilities 10,000 times more than it is today, we may be able to influence systemic structures, communities, and the employment of those who are disabled. When we can achieve this, I believe we will achieve holistic restoration in the true sense of the word.
Please tell us about your journey.
I became interested in welfare in my 20s when a family member fell ill. In 2008, I started a non-profit with the concept of “entertainment crossed with medicine and welfare.”
One day, I saw my friend’s child, who had a disability, cry as he was working on his rehabilitation routine, and I began thinking about a potential app that would help users enjoy rehabilitation routines. I became passionate about the idea, prompting me to start the business.
When the app was completed in 2018, I formalized the business. After that, we increased the number of products while structuring our platform, and incorporated the company in 2021.
Today, I still make the rounds in client facilities as much as I can, listening to what users have to say so we can apply it to our development. Any progress we’ve made is based on their input and on how seriously we listen to them.
We’re all human. No matter how beneficial something may be, if it’s boring or painful, we’re not going to be excited about it. That’s why assertive, self-motivation is key to bringing out our true potential. I believe Digireha can enable this by making rehabilitation efforts enjoyable through digital art.
Winner of the Grand Prize and the reward at the Tech Osaka Award 2025.
