At the same time, a growing number of manufacturers are undertaking projects to research and develop more sophisticated assistive walking devices for people with physical handicaps. Setting the Pace Assistive mobility devices for the elderly have been around for some time, but most, like conventional walkers that must be pushed by the user, are relatively simple in construction. By contrast, the devices now under development have fairly high-tech capabilities. Recently, the Akita Prefectural Industrial Technology Center unveiled a motorized walker targeted at people who need a cane to get around. The device resembles a pushcart, with wheels and a handhold bar.
Users simply pull a lever on the bar, and the walker begins moving forward slowly.
Made for use both in the home and outside, the walker runs two and a half hours on a single recharge. The idea of a motorized walker that permits adjustments to the speed represents a major advance over conventional models. Currently, plans are underway to make the device more practicable by adding safety features to prevent collisions with objects, stop it from rolling into the street, and guard against other mishaps. In no other nation is the population graying so rapidly. Projections of a surge in the number of elderly are behind the move to develop high-tech assistive walking devices for this group, such as the one designed by the Akita Prefectural Industrial Technology Center.