Assistive mobility device

Author

Boyd, T. ; Carpenter, E. ; Cohen, R. ; Gardener, C. ; Maglaras, C.

Author_Institution

Stevens Inst. of Technol., Hoboken, NJ, USA

fYear

2010

fDate

26-28 March 2010

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

2

Abstract

Objective: To develop a rolling walker that would reduce the risk of fall induced injuries. Methods: Three main components of the design were the failsafe brake, the active brake, and the frame. The failsafe footprint was tested for frictional forces on various surfaces. The active brake was tested by applying known loads on the spring and measuring deflection. The frame was evaluated by applying a cyclic load to the pins. The effects of loading were evaluated. Results: Contact area was shown to be 99.66%, 96.74%, and 95.34% for tile, wood and cement respectively. The springs were loaded with a percentile of the maximum weight to be applied and pound/in load rates were established for 50-85% maximum weight. For the frame component the pins were loaded to simulate three months of use. All pins passed. Conclusion: This rolling walker design has proven to be a success. The innovative braking mechanisms shall reduce injuries due to walker related falls.

Keywords

biomedical equipment; handicapped aids; active brake; assistive mobility device; braking mechanisms; cement; cyclic load; failsafe brake; failsafe footprint; fall induced injury; frame component; frictional forces; rolling walker; tile; wood; Building materials; Conducting materials; Design methodology; Foot; Injuries; Materials testing; Pins; Springs; Stability; Tiles;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Bioengineering Conference, Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE 36th Annual Northeast

Conference_Location

New York, NY

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-6879-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NEBC.2010.5458208

Filename

5458208