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Walker Wizard

UC San Diego MAE156B Winter 2018 Sponsored Project

Sebastian Bommer, Fuad Malki, Jordan Trinh, Ivan Voroshilov

Background:

There is a growing population of mobility-impaired individuals who are heavily or totally dependent on mobility devices. One of these devices is the rolling walker (also known as a rollator) which helps the aforementioned individuals to move around. A fundamental problem with these devices is that they are not always within reach when needed, which limits independence. The project sponsor Dan Wolfson, an independent inventor in San Diego, wanted to mitigate this problem by developing an automatic retrieval system for rolling walkers. The objective of this project was to develop a system where a user can press a button, which prompts their walker to navigate towards them so that they can use it. The sponsor was seeking to create a working prototype for a proof-of-concept video to show to potential investors and create a viable commercial product.

Statement of Requirements

• • Develop a system to command a walker to autonomously navigate towards a user

  • Walker comes to the user at the push of a button

  • Walker retreats to charging base when not in use

  • Walker is able to detect obstacles that are wider than 30 cm

  • The system should be able to reach speeds up to 0.8 m/s

  • The battery should be able to run the walker to the user 3 times without needing to charge

  • The battery should be able to idle for up to 8 hours without needing to return to its home base

  • Walker behaves the same as a regular model when in manual use

  • Walker autonomous driving is safe and is indicated by flashing lights and sounds