Publication
iWalker - An Intelligent Walker providing Services for the Elderly
Thomas Röfer; Tim Laue; Bernd Gersdorf
In: Technically Assisted Rehabilitation 2009. European Conference on Technically Assisted Rehabilitation (TAR-09), March 18-19, Berlin, Germany, VDe/VDI, 2009.
Abstract
The DFKI iWalker is the prototype of a walker equipped with electric brakes, wheel encoders, a laser range sensor, and a small control PC. The laser range sensor enables the iWalker to measure the dis-tances to the objects in the environment. Thereby, the iWalker can provide a variety of services. By con-trolling the electric brakes, it can help the user keeping clear of obstacles. In addition, by using a laser-scan-based self-localization algorithm, the iWalker can determine its position inside a building and provide location-based services. For instance, it can guide the user to a desired target location by displaying navigation instructions on the screen (as in a car navigation system) or by using the electric brakes to indicate the direction the user has to walk to.