Instrumented Canes for Parkinson's Disease: a Survey of Commercial and Research Solutions

Abstract

Instrumented canes have capabilities that allow them to provide functionalities beyond what a traditional cane can offer its user. This study presents a survey of existing instrumented canes, both of commercial and research nature. We identify the major types of features and functionalities offered by these canes, and also focus with particular interest on those offering capabilities aimed at improving the gait of Parkinson's patients, namely the provision of visual, auditory and tactile cues. We find that although special-purpose features dedicated to Parkinson's patients specific needs are commonly experimented with in research contexts, they are usually absent from commercially available solutions, which focus mainly on utility and emergency management features.