iWalker: Toward a Rollator-Mounted Wayfinding System for the Elderly

TLDR

Intelligent walkers are being developed to help elderly individuals maintain independence in both familiar and unfamiliar settings, with several prototypes emerging from institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. This article describes the design and initial evaluations of iWalker, a multi‑sensor rollator‑mounted wayfinding system for the elderly. iWalker operates in a smart world equipped with embedded sensors, integrating inexpensive environmental sensors to reduce walker cost and complexity.

Abstract

Research on intelligent walkers aims at helping elderly individuals to maintain their independence in familiar and unfamiliar environments. Several walkers have been developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. This article contributes to this research venue by describing the design and initial evaluations of iWalker, a multi-sensor rollator-mounted wayfinding system for the elderly. The primary difference of the proposed navigation aid from other intelligent walkers is that iWalker is assumed to operate in a smart world (SW), a physical space equipped with embedded sensors. By integrating inexpensive sensors into the environment, the cost and complexity of the walker can be reduced.