The Freigeist Lab develops digital prosthetics to enhance participation for individuals with cognitive impairments in everyday work environments.
The Freigeist Lab is pioneering digital prosthetics—assistive technologies designed to support individuals with cognitive impairments in everyday work environments. Their flagship initiative was to launch an inclusive pasta bistro where team members could confidently prepare meals with minimal supervision. The challenge was to develop a system that could provide step-by-step visual guidance, adapt to different working speeds, and be intuitive enough for daily use in a real gastronomic setting.
Together with a friend, I co-developed an interactive kitchen assistance system for Freigeist Lab, implemented at Nudel Emma in Überlingen—a collaborative project with Überlinger SKiD gGmbH.
Key elements included:
The Freigeist concept was one of five winners of the German Gastro Founder Award (2018), selected from over 460 entries. The project was showcased at Internorga 2018 in Hamburg and has since become a reference point for innovation and inclusion in the hospitality sector.
✅ Empowerment Through Design: Individuals with cognitive disabilities are able to contribute meaningfully in a commercial kitchen setting.
✅ Adaptive Workflows: The system adjusts to each user’s pace, enabling confidence and autonomy without sacrificing consistency.
✅ Scalable Concept: The success of Nudel Emma demonstrates how assistive technology can be seamlessly integrated into inclusive business models.