MIT class project turns into an FDA-cleared treatment for tremors.
A wristband built by MIT students in a 2017 product design class became Encora Therapeutics, whose device received FDA 510(k) clearance in February 2026 to help adults with essential tremor.
In 2017, a student team in MIT's product design class 2.009 showed a prototype wristband to a packed Kresge Auditorium. A man named Michael, who has early-onset Parkinson's disease, put on the device and drew a spiral on stage. According to MIT News, his tremors dropped sharply within seconds, and he drew with much more precision.
The idea came from Daniel Carballo, who proposed a wearable that uses mechanical vibration to send signals to the brain to reduce tremors. He described it as "one of hundreds of throwaway ideas." The team chose it by a vote of 16 to 1, with Carballo the lone dissenter. The early prototype was a foamcore box with a Raspberry Pi chip and wires.
Some team members then used MIT resources, including MIT Sandbox, MIT FUSE and the Venture Mentoring Service, to pursue the technology. The group became Encora Therapeutics in 2020. Its remaining founders are Carballo, Allison Davanzo and Kyle Pina, all members of the class of 2018. A first clinical trial in 2022 enrolled 20 Parkinson's patients in collaboration with MassGeneral Brigham. The team then shifted its focus to essential tremor after learning that more patients live with it. Carballo called it a greater unmet need and said it has not seen the same drug development as Parkinson's.
The device applies vibration to stretch receptors in the wrist. Carballo said this sends a patterned signal to the same brain regions that are targeted by surgery in which electrodes are implanted. In a 2024 randomized controlled trial with 47 patients and a 2025 home-use trial with 59 patients, more than 70 percent of participants had meaningful improvement. In one trial, 78 percent reported benefits after 90 days of home use.
The FDA granted 510(k) clearance in February 2026 for use in adults with essential tremor. Encora is now building a national sales force and seeking insurance coverage. As production increases, the product is expected to become available to patients who qualify. The company still hopes to treat Parkinson's tremor and sees wider potential. "We see this as a platform technology," Carballo said.
At a Glance
- The FDA granted 510(k) clearance to Encora's wrist-worn device for adults with essential tremor in February 2026.
- The student team first demonstrated the prototype at MIT in 2017 and incorporated as Encora Therapeutics in 2020.
- A 2024 randomized trial enrolled 47 patients, and a 2025 home-use trial enrolled 59. Both showed meaningful improvement in over 70 percent.
- In one trial, 78 percent of patients reported benefits after 90 days of home use.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.