With an increasing percentage of our population entering the 65-and-over demographic in coming years, assistive technologies are more important than ever. Enhancing and promoting the autonomy of the elderly can be accomplished in part through the development of such product. We report on the development of a smart rolling mobility walker employing a user-centered design process whereby users and other potential stakeholders are integral in all stages of the creation of the product. During each stage of the design process, the researcher met with older adults, some of whom used walkers and some of whom did not, and a team of retirement community administrators, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. The overarching outcome of this research examines opportunities that exist for integrated smart devices for enhanced user mobility and safety. The smart elements of the walker, prototyped using programmable microcontrollers and sensor devices, include a gyroscope that detects declination angle and passive infrared (IR) and acoustic sensors that detect user position relative to the walker. The gyroscope controls application of friction to the rear wheels by way of stepper motors to aid in safe movement when going downhill, while the IR and acoustic sensors provide feedback for safe user position using auditory and visual cues. We also report on functional changes to our smart walker including retractable seating, changeable handle positions, and multi-directional folding. We focus on integrated functionality such as wheel locking when the seat is deployed, eliminating the need for users to manually lock the loop breaks.
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