Today I read an article in the Mechanical Engineering Magazine produced by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) about a new walker designed by an Engineer out of Cornell University. The walker is designed for the added safety of elderly people who rely on walkers to get around without assistance.
Many walkers use a system of brakes similar to what is on a bicycle. This has proved to be less than effective for people with arthritis who can't quickly grip the brake levers. The new walker design has a sensor in the hand grip the engages and disengages the brakes without the need for large applied force from the user. If the user's hands begin to slip off the grip in the situation of a fall, the brakes automatically engage allowing the user to support themselves with the walker quickly and safely.
The reason I write about this is because I think many times people assume that the elderly are quick to reject technology, or are not competent enough to use it effectively. This new walker is definitely a piece of technology that, I believe, the elderly will use and benefit from. The nature of the product is such that it is so well designed that someone who knows very little can use it naturally. I don't believe that the more complicated a piece of technology the better it is, but in many cases it is quite the opposite. I think counting the elderly out of the potential users of certain technology is something that needs to be undone.
Here is the Article...
New Walker Design
I definitely agree that the complexity of technology doesn't determine its usefulness. In most cases the simpler the technology the easier it will be to use. As for the elderly, I don't think they should be counted out with technology. They typically are more hesitant to accept new technology, but once they give it a chance they are often big supporters.
ReplyDelete