Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computational Science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Matteo Parsani began on Sunday his hand-bike journey from the east to the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
His 30-day journey aims to promote physical activities and sports, raise awareness about people with disabilities, showcase KAUST research, and highlight the beauty of the Kingdom’s regions and the hospitality of the Saudi people, SPA reported.
Parsani said that through the journey, he seeks to promote the importance of physical activity for a healthy lifestyle among various segments of society, and not only for people with disabilities. It also aims to study the effect of intense physical exercise on the musculoskeletal system and mental health of people with limited mobility.
Parsani will hand-cycle through Dammam, Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, AlUla, Red Sea Global, Madinah, Makkah, Jeddah and KAUST, over a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers, at a rate of some 150 kilometers per day.
During his ambitious journey to traverse Saudi Arabia from its east to west, Parsani will make use of innovative products aimed at ensuring his safety and tracking his health and physical status in real time.
The products include helmet, jacket and shirt embedded with advanced biosensors that have been developed by a team of KAUST researchers and scientists at their cutting-edge lab.
The sensors will monitor Parsani's heart rate, dopamine and energy levels, sweat secretion rate, and body motion, among others.
