Interesting new technology.
Also PIEN "old-timers" - remember  Dietmar Wessel  was a list member some
years ago  - is the  Europark representative to the PARRHEA project
(*see below)

 FROM:  Business Wire
 February 27, 2003, Thursday

HEADLINE: Xybernaut Wearable Computers Assist Individuals with
Parkinson's
 Disease; PARREHA Program Achieves Remarkable Gains in Walking,
Situational
 Awareness and Coordination

DATELINE: FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 27, 2003

"   Xybernaut Corporation (NASDAQ:XYBR), a leader in the wearable
computer
 industry, today announced that its wearable computing solutions are
helping
 Parkinson's Disease sufferers gain significant improvements in
coordination,
 mobility (particularly walking), awareness and lifestyle.

   These results were achieved during multinational programs conducted by
teams
 of experts from academia, clinical medicine, government and commercial
 organizations to determine how mobile computing technologies could
benefit
 Parkinson's sufferers.

   Participant-organizations include Xybernaut and members of the PARREHA
 Consortium (http:/www.parreha.com) -- an organization founded by
Parkinson's
 researchers from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United
Kingdom.
 The PARREHA Project is led by Oxford Computer Consultants Ltd. (UK) with
 participation by 7 companies and organizations such as Europark -- a
PARREHA
 Project group based in Germany.

   The structured program has been evolving over the past three years.
The
 initial phase was to determine which advanced computing technologies
could offer
 benefits to Parkinson's disease patients. Evaluations concentrated on
 improvements in coordination and lifestyle quality. Subsequent phases
are
 concentrating on the joint program's main goal -- helping sufferers by
 identifying and prioritizing best practices in applying mobile
technologies in
 the fight against Parkinson's. Significant results have been attained in
 assisting Parkinson's patients with coordination and mobility --
particularly
 standing, sitting and walking.

   Initially, the program utilized laptop computers. The program
coordinators
 quickly realized laptops were too cumbersome and actually impeded the
mobility
 of the PD users. Searching for better alternative computing platforms,
the
 PARREHA teams discovered Xybernaut, purchased five of the Company's
Mobile
 Assistant wearable computers and decided to conduct its subsequent
clinical
 evaluations using Xybernaut wearable computers.

   "The fact that Xybernaut technologies are actually designed to be worn
by the
 user, made them a much more flexible computing solutions," stated Dr.
Reynold
 Greenlaw, Oxford Computer Consultants Ltd. "Combine this increased
usability
 with the MA's full PC computing capabilities and we realized that
Xybernaut
 wearable computers offered a much more sophisticated, more flexible and
more
 powerful foundation from which to continue our ongoing efforts to assist
these
 patients."

   Studies by the Miami-based National Parkinson Foundation report that
more
 than 1.5 million Americans suffer from the disease, which includes 10
percent of
 all Americans over 60(1). Separately, PARREHA Project research shows
that nearly
 200,000 Germans have Parkinson's disease. The Consortium believes that a
large
 percentage of this population can benefit from the use of wearable
computing
 solutions.

   Clinical research shows that certain types of visual information (also
 referred to as visual cues), when combined with human sensory data,
greatly
 enhanced patients' coordination while walking. Acting on this previous
data,
 PERREHA created software programs designed to overlay electronic visual
cues
 with human sensory data.

   These applications, when combined with Xybernaut wearable computers
and
 presented to patients using Xybernaut head mounted display (HMD)
technologies,
 greatly enhanced patients' awareness, motor skills and coordination --
 specifically related to walking. To-date, this integrated wearable
computing
 solution has been utilized for approximately one year with compelling
results.
 PERREHA has now begun presenting its results to medical and scientific
 communities.

   "The ability to blend actual sensory information with meaningful
computer
 data is critical to helping Parkinson's patients. This benefit is
enhanced
 further if the integrated information can be presented to the user while
he or
 she is out-and-about during their daily routine," stated Dr. Edwin Vogt
chief
 research and development officer for Xybernaut and director of the
Company's
 University Programs. "Enhanced situational awareness, whether it be in
medical
 applications such as the PERREHA program or the many military programs
in which
 we are involved, is clearly a critical capability," added Vogt.

  ** "Xybernaut unique wearable computing products offer true mobility
and are
 manufactured to operate with the majority of industry-standard
applications,"
 added Dietmar Wessel, PARREHA representative for Europark. "Our belief
is that
 this type of computing solution will greatly enhance the quality of life
for
 Parkinson's patients."

   Xybernaut University Programs have grown quickly in recent years as
wearable
 technologies continue to become more integral components of enterprise
 computing. At this time, more than 46 separate universities are
conducting more
 than 100 programs in North America, Europe and SE Asia/Pacific Rim.

   Xybernaut University Programs are designed to allow participants to be
on the
 cutting edge of practical technology while providing Xybernaut revenue
 opportunities in both the near and long-term. Academic institutions
and/or
 tenured individuals interested in the Xybernaut university program
should
 contact Xybernaut at [log in to unmask]

   (1) Mitchell SL, Kiely DK, Kiel DP, Lipsitz LA; The epidemiology,
clinical
 characteristics, and natural history of older nursing home residents
with a
 diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, Journal of Geriatrics, 1996; 44:
394-9.

   About Xybernaut

   Xybernaut Corporation is an established provider of wearable/mobile
computing
 hardware, software and services, bringing communications and
full-function
 computing power in a hands-free design to people when and where they
need it.
 Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, Xybernaut has offices and
subsidiaries in
 Europe (Germany) and Asia (Japan). Xybernaut's Web site is at
www.xybernaut.com.

 CONTACT: Xybernaut Corporation
 Michael Binko, 703/631-6925
 [log in to unmask]

   URL: http://www.businesswire.com

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