Smart Walker
The smart walker is an innovative approach to tackling the challenges of age-related falls and physical decline by integrating autonomous robotics and a human-centered design approach. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2020-2050, the elderly population aged 60 and above will exponentially increase to 2 billion people. With age comes the surmounting challenges associated with mobility decline, impaired vision, and falls. Falls pose a major, life-altering risk to the well-being and independence of the elderly population, which leads to a sense of fear and trepidation towards unmonitored walking. Elderly people are encouraged to maintain their mobility through regular exercise by using traditional walking aids such as rollators and walking frames that are often prone to erroneous usage and accidental falls.
The smart walker project addresses the significance of motor impairment in the elderly population, stemming from factors like muscle fatigue, loss of vision, and balance issues associated with aging. It emphasizes the importance of innovative walker designs in mitigating these challenges. Historically, assistive canes and traditional walkers have been used, but recent developments have led to data-driven and robotic designs aimed at improving stability and functionality.
Smart Walker: Version I
IMG_9483.MOVIMG_9486.MOVIMG_9485.MOVThe primary objective is to enhance the quality of life for elderly individuals by providing them with stable, comfortable, and intelligent walking aids tailored to various motor impairment issues. The evolution of walker designs, from basic canes to modern upright walkers with motorized wheels and sensing modules for fall prevention and object detection, is discussed.
The parts were manufactured in a metal tubular frame with handles 3D printed with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The wheel uses an omnidirectional design attached to four in-hub individual motors using velocity control with LiDar sensor object detection that either decreases speed or stops the motors when an object is near or present.
The progress made in the project of the smart walker brings the design closer to providing a viable solution to positively impact the lives of elderly users by offering reliable and efficient mobility solutions.
Team members: Tiffany Chau, Jerry Lopez, Anubhav Sharma
Smart Walker: Version II
Walker_WIP_Height_Adjustment.mp4Preliminary_Walker_Exploded_View_Animation.mp4
A new intelligent walker with the integration of a six-axis force sensor, LiDar sensors, depth camera, and motorized wheels was proposed to help bridge the gap between passive walkers and other robotic walkers in development. Using previous designs as a baseline for improvement, an updated walking frame has been developed with an emphasis on human-centered design, finite element analysis of nominal loading conditions, weight-reduction, adjustability, usability, safety, and manufacturability.
The design further differentiates from version I of the smart walker by incorporating only two rear motorized with improved wheel choice and two front passive caster wheels to provide better traction, reduce overall weight, usability, and safety during operation, and the frame is fully adjustable to improve ergonomics and user adaptability. The design will eventually utilize a suspension mechanism to minimize vibration and help in navigating rougher terrains.
