Patient co-develops a stable walker to increase her safety

Lora Brugnaro suffers from cerebral palsy that compromises her balance. She has been using available-on-the-market walkers, but they are usually unstable and not fulfilling her needs. During the sixth Assistive Technologies Hackathon (ATHack), an event organised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she was paired with some MIT students and they created a more stable walker.

"I have felt for a very long time that the daily choice I made between safety and living with the freedom to move was an unnecessary choice predicated on poor design," Lora said.

To identify Lora’s needs and challenges, Zoe, a team member, walked through Lora’s everyday journey, home-work-home, taking videos to share with the rest of the team. "I’ve spoken to many people about my struggles; nobody ever offered solutions or suggested there might be any. It’s depressing and demeaning when companies ignore your feedback, and medical professionals seem satisfied with the standard options," Lora says.

At the end of the ATHack winning teams were selected. Lora’s team won in the co-designer collaboration category. After the ATHack, Lora had an improved walker and she kept suggesting to Zoe what could be corrected. "I finally have my own personal vehicle, with a brake system that actually brakes and a wheel system that provides 100 percent stability," she said. She hopes to bring the design to other people with mobility issues.

Adapted from: http://news.mit.edu/2019/sixth-mit-athack-develops-assistive-technology-...
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