Robotic cane shadows stride to stabilise walking

The device is engineered to mimic the light touch of a guiding companion, allowing the user to take narrower strides that keep the centre of gravity in place and prevent wobbles. It’s hoped a refined version of the technology could be introduced to assist the elderly or people with mobility difficulties. The work is published in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.

“Often, elderly people benefit from light hand-holding for support,” said research lead Sunil Agrawal, professor of mechanical engineering and of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia Engineering.

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“We have developed a robotic cane attached to a mobile robot that automatically tracks a walking person and moves alongside. The subjects walk on a mat instrumented with sensors while the mat records step length and walking rhythm, essentially the space and time parameters of walking, so that we can analyse a person’s gait and the effects of light touch on it.”