Newly patented electronic braking prevents slips on walkers
The 'Smart Walker' starts in the braked position, and low-strength users need only touch a button to electronically disengage the brake and begin moving. Cornell biomedical engineering students working with Weill Cornell Medical College-affiliated psychiatrist Dr. Eli Einbinder have designed an electronic braking system for walkers, with buttons replacing bicycle-style squeeze brakes. Their walkers also have automatic braking that can prevent slips, slides and falls when a user grabs the handgrips. For three years, a team of graduate students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and undergraduate seniors from several departments in the College of Engineering worked with David Lipson, Cornell professor of engineering, as well as with Einbinder on a prickly problem: how to prevent elderly users with limited mobility from inadvertently falling when they use a braking walker. The "Smart Walker" relies on handgrip sensors. The walker starts in the braked position, and low-strength users need only touch a button to electronically disengage the brake and begin moving. Once a user removes hands from the handlebar, the walker automatically resets to the braked position.
