Abstract.

Aging people and individuals with physical limitations can go from walking to wheelchair-bound very quickly. This decline can be greatly slowed by maintaining physical activity. In order to get this physical activity, people use assistive mobility devices such as canes and walkers. The goal of this project is to design an assistive mobility device that improves upon the capabilities of the current devices on the market. Our design, the NewWalk, improves three key features of current walkers: posture influence, adjustability, and weight transfer. Current walkers require users to reach out in front of them causing bad posture and potential back problems. The NewWalk, however, features forearm supports at roughly elbow height that allows for the user to stand upright while still getting the support required. These arm supports also feature height, width, and angle adjustment whereas current walkers feature height adjustment at best. This wide range of adjustability allows for a more perfect fit for every individual. Another problem with current walkers is the direction and placement of weight transfer between the user and the device. Most walkers require the user to bend over and places the weight on their hands which can get very tiring and cause joint stress. To improve on this, the NewWalk directs weight away from the wrist and elbows and transfers it directly to the shoulders. Also, to relieve stress on joints, the NewWalk features gas shocks for the two forearm supports. This allows for movement while walking over uneven terrain along with impact reduction on joints. The improvements made by the NewWalk device will accommodate a large range of users and also improve their overall quality of life.

Design.

The NewWalk can be use at a 90 degrees position for stationary use and 130 degrees position for mobile use which can be seen below.

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Armrest at 90 degrees

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Armrest at 130 degrees

Future Work.

Click here for the file called Time line.

Faculty.