According to the World Health Organization, falls, specifically for senior citizens, is a major public health problem. There are a lot who use canes and other walking aids but there are also some who prefer not to use any since they’re inconvenient at times or because of their pride. But we’re also seeing some aids that have become smarter and can adjust to the needs of those that need these tools to move around.
Designer: Claire Ko
Halo is one such tool that may appeal to those who are still hesitant to use canes because of their limitations. This one is a smart cane where you can adjust your smartphone so it can adjust its height automatically. It can adjust the height of the cane depending on the terrain that you’re walking on. This includes walking up and down the stairs, which is one of the most difficult daily tasks that senior citizens and other people with walking difficulties experience.
The Halo Smart Cane provides control to those using it as you are not limited to just the standard height of most canes. It also provides stability to the user as it will not let you slop or stumble even when it changes its height based on what the smartphone and the app detects. Once you attach your phone, there is a button on the cane that switches to automatic mode.
The height-adjustment mechanism included in the cane is still patent-pending but on paper, it is a pretty useful tool for those who need better assistance while walking. There isn’t a lot of detailed information yet on the materials used and the mechanism involved probably because of the ongoing patent application.
No one can escape the passage of time or how the body grows old and frail. We can really only delay the inevitable with a healthy lifestyle, but there will always come a time when we’ll need someone or something to lean on while walking or need to sit down more regularly even if there’s not a chair in sight. Walking aids and stools are common sights in everyday life, and products that combine these two are also no longer alien to our eyes. Unfortunately, most of them, while functional, are also unattractive and sometimes even difficult to use. They’re often a cause of embarrassment for users who’d rather leave these at home and endure discomfort rather than be seen using them. Fortunately, all hope is not lost and this rather unique “sitting cane” shows how a well-designed tool can be functional, beautiful, and uplifting all at the same time.
Made from a single piece of solid ash wood split in the middle and held together with six brass bolts, the SNILD, the Danish word for handy or dextrous, shatters expectations of what a walking aid should look like. Rather than a traditional stick or a rod that ends with legs at the bottom, it looks more like a tapered paper clip viewed from the front. The curved top and bottom edges along with the sloping sides give the tool a more elegant and stylish appearance, while also providing bigger surface areas for holding or standing on the floor. The loop at the top also lets you hoist the sitting cane over your shoulder if you need to make use of both hands.
Unlike walking aids that also function as stools, transforming the SNILD is as easy as pulling the top halves apart. This reveals a leather seat that is both durable and comfortable, and it uses simple physics to hold the person up. The rubber feet of the legs provide the necessary grip to prevent the stool or the cane from sliding.
More than its functionality, it’s the design and aesthetic that puts the SNILD above the rest. It has a dignified appearance that goes beyond a simple walking aid or seat, and that sense of dignity is transferred to the user who no longer feels the shame of carrying one. It is a part of the designer’s vision of Everyday Assistive Furniture (EAF) design furniture that’s not only a tool but can even be a source of pride and an heirloom for future generations.
The inspiration behind the form of the Wild Chair is pretty unique. Imagine leaving a chair out in a forest and having nature take over it, with moss, vines, and trellises. Its solid form, being covered by interweaving branches and stems. Now remove the chair from the equation and what are you left with?
The Wild Chair is the answer to that question. Designed with an organic form that highlights the intricate stylings of cane furniture, Eugeni Quitllet’s Wild Chair feels like a wild material domesticated. The chair, which was created during the lockdown, came from Quitllet often pondering what would happen if he left his chair in the wild and let nature absolutely take over. “I’m seeing at this moment how nature is taking its place back everywhere, in the sea, in the air, in the ground, in the city… and now in design! And why not… We will grow chairs like vegetables and modify seeds genetically to grow new designs”, said the Catalan designer.
Did I miss the memo stating that all cordless vacuum cleaners must now look as though they’ve just stepped off a gay pride parade float?! They’ve literally come out of the appliance closet, rainbowing in full force! (No offense to my LGBT friends.) It seems like everyone from Dyson to Black+Decker is spitting out new models that only get more flashy than the ones before. For those of us who care about how things look, even if they rest behind closed doors, there’s CANE.
It’s a modern, minimalist approach to the cordless vacuum cleaner designed for the discerning user. No obtrusive hues, no superfluous shapes that mimic flexed muscles, just the bare essentials presented in a demure design with pure sucking power. Don’t worry, the less-is-more approach doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing features… like the U-shaped handle that provides a simple fix to reaching remote areas or convenient organization stand for keeping specialized pieces together. So, unless you’re planning on taking your vacuum as a date to Mardis Gras in New Orleans, consider a CANE!
Designers: Hyunsoo Choi, Junho Shin, & Joongho Choi
The action arcade RPG game Super Cane Magic Zero will be arriving on the Switch soon. PC, PS4 and Xbox will be getting the game as was previously declared by the studio responsible for its inception....
We’ve been very vocal about how much respect we have for designers who take up challenges in the medical domain. There’s always a lot at stake and with such a small margin for error, Design for Medicine or Design for Special Needs may just be one of the most challenging (and if done right, rewarding) design disciplines out there. Fast.Co lists Inclusive Design as a trend that will shape 2018, and our favorite posts from 2017 have only been a testament to the rise of that trend.
Whether it’s technological advancements to make better and more accessible medical products, or just redesigning medical and special-need products look more fashionable and inclusive, our top Medical Design posts for the year 2017 are pretty indicative of how big health care in 2018 is going to be!
This hospital bed can be folded and transformed into a wheelchair in a matter of minutes without disturbing the individual.
This wheelchair enhances mobility thanks to its scissor-inspired structure. It sports an innovative adjustable seat-height feature for better ergonomics. It also has two distinct riding positions: one that is ideal for cruising and maneuvering and the other for putting the user at eye level with standing individuals.
OH is at once a hearing aid and a fashion accessory. It allows the user to customize the product by changing the external ring’s range of textures and colors. It can also be used as an earring or attached hearing pin.
This smart thermometer is the embodiment of portability and compact design being just 5cm long and weighing a total of only 13g. The thermometer simply plugs into one’s smartphone audio jack.
Clevu is a wearable system that can not only work as traditional reading glasses but is capable of enhancing a variety of other sight situations. Enjoying the outdoors? There’s a setting for that. Watching TV? There’s a setting for that too.
This ergonomic smart cane comes as just a joystick handle with an automatic telescoping stick that shoots out when switched on. However, the walking stick doesn’t stop there. It connects to an app on the smartphone, actually guiding the user to destinations they set.
Simple and desirable, these black and white inhalers don’t just break the stigma of carrying an inhaler, they also look striking enough that you’d instantly spot it on the shelves (helping the brand reach customers).
This new EpiPen design, called Epipi, really makes things as simple as unscrew, press, and go! Just twist to arm it, hold against the skin, and press the button to release. A clear window into the medication reservoir will indicate that the contents have been emptied which enhances the confidence of the user that they performed the function correctly.
The Hue inhaler is completely 3D printed (note the transition from mottled color to transparent) and comes with a dazzling set of color combinations that are bound to break the monotony of medical product design. There’s even a woven paracord for easy access, or clipping/strapping to your bag/pants.
The Kardia is a tiny ECG (or EKG) reader that works in conjunction with your iPhone to give you heart-rate readings. Simple in its design, with just two textured sensor-pads for your fingers, the device takes readings and its partner-app guides you through the process, showing you your current heart rate.
Meddsy isn’t as much a first aid kit as much as it’s an emergency aid kit. It contains dedicated units for everything from medical goods to any instruments one may need to treat themselves.
We can’t all regenerate like the Doctor. We humans get old and sometimes injured to the point where we need a cane. Well this Doctor Who cane is perfect for aging or limping Whovians.
This stylish blue cane is made of aluminum and collapses for travel. It can support up to 250 lbs of weight and has a TARDIS design with Gallifreyan symbols that are all over the whole cane.
You know it’s almost time to regenerate when you need a cane. You might as well use a geeky one. The Doctor would approve. It’s only $40(USD).
Last year we saw a robot cane for visually impaired people that warns its user of obstacles with an audible alert. The Virtual Aid for the Visually Impaired or VAVI by grade 10 student Roman Kozak is an even more convenient prototype for a high tech cane. It lets the user search Google Maps and be guided towards his or her destination by voice prompts.
VAVI is not actually a cane but just a short cylinder; instead of direct contact it uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect objects in the user’s path. A vibration motor and a buzzer alerts the user if there’s an obstacle in his way. As for the location search, Roman wrote an Android app that taps into Google Maps. When the app is open, the user can order it to search for a location by saying “go to _____.” The app will look for the destination and will then provide voice prompts to guide the user as he walks.
The app also accepts voice commands for placing a phone call, sending the user’s current location to someone else and for finding VAVI. For that last feature, the app will reach out to VAVI through Bluetooth and activate its motor and buzzer to make it easier to find. Roman also made it so VAVI can be charged wirelessly via induction so the user won’t have to bother finding an adapter and an outlet.
For all its capabilities, Roman estimates that VAVI only costs about $70(USD) to produce. Check out Roman’s website for more on his invention.
One major concern for cane users is where exactly they’ll be able to rest their can when not using it. Whether they’re sitting, laying down, in the kitchen or outside, it’s important that it always be handy. Thanks to its manual opening tripod attachment, the Tricane ensures that the walking aid is always within reach and won’t fall to the ground. In anodized aluminum, it’s just as lightweight, compact and good-looking as a classic cane.
This robotic cane is the possible future of canes for blind people and the elderly who are not blind, but just have trouble seeing everything.
This navigational canes isthe work of Dr. Cang Ye, a roboticist at the University at Arkansas at Little Rock and the engineering team that developed it. It is called the Co-Robotic Cane (CRC for short). It has a camera and laser detection as well as a ranging system that can spot objects in its user’s path. If something is in the way, it warns the user through the earpiece. One of the most innovative features is the roller tip on the end, which moves, guiding you toward a useful direction and out of the way of objstacles.
Dr. Ye thinks that the cane will be a great advance in navigational aids for the visually impaired. It certainly beats using an ordinary cane.
