Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Less Bumping, More Guiding

Filed under: Geriatrics , OTC , Rehab

Sebastian Ritzler, a student at the Muthesius Academy of Art and Design in Kiel, Germany, is developing a smart cane that, with the help of electronics, become more like a guide dog than a cane. His design won him the bronze medal in the "student designed" category of the IDEA Awards.

The cane is supposed to be tough, height-adjustable for men and women, and waterproof. But here's the best part: It includes a system with a smart sensor and camera combo that can measure the ground area accurately in real time and pushes auditory feedback to a headset. In addition, the mini wheel at the tip of the cane has a hub motor that provides intuitive feedback through the grip, doubling as a steering engine that can last about 6 hours on a lithium-ion battery.

More from Wired...

Design concept page at IDEA...

(hat tip: Gizmodo)

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