Rishab Veldur

Eric Simon
Shreya Jain
Noah Bruckner

Improving
Walking Canes
Meet the Team
Problem Statement

According to a study published in the Journal of Safety

Research in 2015, 1.5 million people over the age of 65
reported that they had fallen due to assistive device failure.
Patients who use assistive devices experience balance issues,
which can lead to injuries or even death.
INCREASE COEFFICIENT OF
FRICTION
Greater than 0.6 against test cane on
Design Criteria
concrete

HOLD WEIGHT OF 50% OF USERS

MAINTAIN <20° SPINAL FLEXION

STAND UP AND BALANCE BY ITSELF

WORKS IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS

Dry/Wet concrete, Dry tile, Dry carpet, Dry
Dirt, Dry Grass, Light Rainfall

COSTS LESS THAN $30 FOR THE

CONSUMER
Standard Testing
1. Weight Test
a. Weigh the cane ( < 2 lbs)
2. Standing Upright Test
a. See if cane can stand upright by itself (Y/N)
3. Weight Load Test
a. Secure a 250 pound dumbbell on the handle of the cane. Place
the cane perpendicular to the ground and secure it from falling
using guy wires. See if the cane does not bend or snap after 1
hour of the test (Y/N)
Standard Testing
5. Weather Test
a. Simulate various weather conditions (Rain, Snow, Ice) and
demonstrate if cane is still usable upon those surfaces
6. Spinal Curvature Test
b. Attach IMUs (inertial measurement units) to user of cane
c. Record data from IMUs as the user is walking around using the
cane
d. Put data in excel sheet to make visual diagram for analysis
Standard Testing

7. Coefficient of Friction Test

a. Record weight of cane
b. Use force sensor to push against the foot of the cane
c. Record amount of force required to make the foot slip on the
concrete
d. Use the equation F = Nand solve for the coefficient of friction
Prototypes
Moveable Joint Testing
1. Use force sensor to push the cane on the ground and compare to the control
cane
a. If force is greater than control cane: Yes
b. If force is less than control cane: No
2. Use protractor to measure effective range of rotation for bottom part of cane
a. Ideal range of 180 degrees
3. Measure angle of bottom section of cane with ground as the top is moved
around
a. Angle should be 90 degrees + or – 5 degrees
4. Measure angle of users back from the vertical
a. Angle should be less than 20 degrees for ideal safety
Extendable Base Testing
1. Put a 50 pound weight on cane
a. Measure increase in area (%)
b. Ensure springs activate (Y/N)
2. Simulate various angles of falling (0°, 20°, 40°) against the ground
a. Ensure base deploys (Y/N)
3. Do a comparison test for falling
a. Take a CareX soft grip cane and apply 100 lbs.
i. Test what threshold of perpendicular force can knock cane over (#)
b. Repeat test with this cane, base extended
i. Test to see how much higher the threshold is (%)
Angled Protector Testing
1. Stall test
a. Take 1 module and max angle of the module against the ground. (ie
30 degrees)
b. Hang a 50 lbs weight on the finger of the module
c. Zero the module so it attempts to pull itself back to its 0 degree
position
d. Run test for 60 seconds and record if the motor still works after the
test (Y/N)
2. Simulate various angles of falling (0°, 20°, 40°) against the ground
a. Ensure the modules extend in the right direction and retract in the
opposite. Record if the cane falls (Y/N)
b. Do a test for falling
i. Take a piston and configure it apply exactly 30 lbs of force
perpendicular to 5 inches from the bottom of the cane.
ii. Record if the cane can recover (Y/N)
Strap Cane Testing
1. Place the strap on the cane and tighten it to the cane handle
2. We will be testing using the tensile tester
a. We will test the stretching and bending capabilities of the strap
b. How much force should it be able to take? (50 lbs)
3. Place the strap in water for 24 hours
a. See if it has deteriorated or harmed in any way
4. Collect a sample group of at least 15 people
a. Have them see if their wrist fits and whether they can tighten it to a
comfortable diameter (YES/ NO)
5. Go to an elderly living home to test (survey)
Safety
Test in safe environment
Test in increments
Test with supervision of peers
Test code without human
Make sure equipment is used correctly
Keep fingers away from moving parts
Life University

On 2/27 we tested the <20

degree spinal curvature
Inertial Measurement Units
(IMU's)
tested one prototype and
the control cane
Thank you!