Design and implementation of a low-cost laser Parkinson's Walker with safety and energy saving features

Abstract

Many elderly people today suffer from disease and health issues. One of the most difficult is Parkinson's disease, which is caused by the death of dopamine cells in the midbrain. Among other symptoms, Parkinson's patients usually suffer from difficulty walking. They commonly experience a phenomenon called "freezing" in which they don't have the ability to initiate motion to produce functional movement. Given sufficient external stimuli the same patient will be able to overcome the problem and carry out productive movements. This can then lead to them walking forward. Standard visual cues may include lines of paint or tape on the ground, but these have limitations. We have created a walker which uses a laser to project a line onto the ground in front of the patient. The patient can then step over this line. As they move the walker forward, the same stimuli is presented automatically, enabling the patient to overcome the freezing and maintain walking. Our design is effective, safe, energy conserving, low cost and can enable the mobility of Parkinson's patients and prevent the disease from reaching its extreme stage.