Ostrich Locomotion-Inspired Walking Cane for Senior Adventurers

This research paper proposed an ostrich locomotion-inspired walking cane as an aid for elderly individuals traversing natural landscapes. A unique leg structure that provides exceptional balance and stability to ostrich locomotion on uneven support was utilized. An experiment was conducted to compare the balance provided by the ostrich-inspired cane with that of a conventional small quad cane. Healthy male and female participants [Age 49 male and age 20, 20, 25 females] were instructed in testing procedures and provided written consent. Wireless inertia sensors were affixed to various points on the participant s' body and on the cane itself. Participants practiced standing and walking with both types of canes before engaging in balance challenging activities imitating age-related motion stability perturbance, including standing while rolling a ball forward and backward, and standing while rolling a ball clockwise, and walking while swinging over a cup. Each type of activities was performed on three different types of terrain including the firm, grassy, and gravelly surfaces. The Floquet multipliers analysis on motion data revealed that the ostrich locomotion-inspired cane outperformed the conventional cane in providing stability during gait and standing on both grassy and gravelly terrain. While further experimentation with a larger and more diverse population is necessary, this bio-inspired balance maintenance has the potential to revolutionize walking cane design and encourage older adults to engage in landscape travel for their well-being.