Electronic Brakes for Rolling Walkers

Rolling walkers have traditionally used bicycle-style squeeze brakes to prevent users from falling. However, for elderly with reduced hand strength these are hard to use. Biomedical engineering students from Cornell have now developed an electronic braking system, which only needs a gentle touch of a button to release the brakes. Once the user lets go of the handlebar, the walker automatically returns to the braking position. Because of constraints on cost, weight and need for simplicity the whole project took as many as 16 years from its inception to the current “Smart Walker”.
News story: Newly patented electronic braking prevents slips on walkers…