Innovative Walker Helps the Elderly Climb Stairs

A conceptual idea of a walker for the elderly features many design improvements over current models, including a stair climbing assist feature.

The Boomer walker, designed at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), aims to reduce the risk of falls and stair-related falls, which has been identified as a major public health issue among the elderly. The modern form and design of the Boomer aims to move away from the utilitarian forms and hospital aesthetic of many of other contemporary elderly products. The Boomer features easy height adjustment to accommodate varying users, an easy to use push button release which allows the walker to fold up for storage, transportation, and to transform the walker into a device which enables the user to maneuver up and down stairs. Other features include a padded seat and backrest for user comfort whilst resting. The padded backrest also contains a zipper, which holds a nylon foldout storage bag for both personal belongings and shopping. Unlike other walkers, which usually have a metal basket under the seat, the Boomer utilizes the space in the backrest to conceal neatly the storage compartment.

The key innovation of the design is the stair-ready function, which allows the mobility aid to transform from a walker into a device that enables the user to maneuver up and down stairs safely. A push button release allows the mobility aid to fold up; it then uses an electric linear actuator, which creates a stable support at the base of the rear wheels. This allows the user to balance properly and use the mobility aid as a frame to support their weight, while taking one-step at a time.

"Many products that are targeted at the elderly seem to acquire the stigma of old age, and are either rejected outright or used reluctantly,” said student designer Daniel Molloy, who was awarded the "Highly Commended” accolade for the Boomer at the 2009 Australian International Design Awards. "In response to the utilitarian forms and hospital aesthetic of much of today's elderly targeted products, the boomer mobility aid has a modern, organic, user friendly form and aims to move away from this stigma and create a new modern aesthetic for elderly mobility aids.”

The Boomer mobility aid possesses a sleek organic form, made possible through the use of gas-assisted injection molding processes that mold the structural components to the complex forms of the main body and front legs of the mobility aid. A higher stiffness-to- weight ratio can be obtained with gas-assisted molding than with other processes, resulting in a lightweight product, a key consideration in the design. The gas-assist process also enables large hollowed-out structures, allowing the stair ready components, brake mechanisms, and cables to be housed within the form, thus creating a more attractive device.

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Monash University