Re: ENSC 440 Project Proposal for an intelligent walking aid

Transcription

1 School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC V5A 1S6 January 23, 2006 Mr. Steve Whitmore and Dr. Andrew Rawicz School of Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC V5A 1S6 Re: ENSC 440 Project Proposal for an intelligent walking aid Dear Mr. Whitmore and Dr. Rawicz, Please find attached a copy of the Incedonex s project proposal for the Sure-Step intelligent walking aid. Sure-Step is a technologically advanced walker created to assist elderly users. It is comprised of an integrated mechanical and electronic sensing system which aims to address problems such as breaking, hazard detection and path planning in order to better assist and protect the user. Our enclosed proposal contains more information on the purpose of our project and the solution we devised. Our plan to prototype Sure-Step includes a detailed timeline for a targeted completion date of April 2006 as well as a budget with sources of funding we will explore. Incedonex is comprised of six highly skilled and ambitious engineering students at Simon Fraser University with backgrounds in Engineering and Computer Science. You can find more information on Mr. Daniel Agyar, Mr. Duncan Chan, Mr. Steven Dai, Mr. Yijun Jing, Mr. Victor Tai and Mr. Li Xu in the attached proposal. If you have any questions or comments please to contact me by at lxu@sfu.ca. Alternatively, you may contact me directly by telephone at Sincerely, Li Xu Li Xu, Chief Executive Officer Incedonex Enclosure: Incedonex project proposal for the Sure-Step intelligent walking aid.

2 S I M P L Y M O B I L I T Y, S U R E L Y S A F E T Y Project Team Contact Person Submitted To Daniel Agyar Duncan Chan Steven Dai Yijun Jing Victor Tai Li Xu Li Xu lxu@sfu.ca Dr. Andrew Rawicz Mr. Steve Whitmore Engineering Science Simon Fraser University Issued Date January 19, 2006

3 Executive Summary The world s elderly population is greatly increasing. According to the World Health Organization, 390 million people are over the age of 65, and this number is expected to double by 2025 [9]. As people age, their mobility deteriorate and are prone to falling, which has become the leading cause for injury-related deaths in recent years [3]. As a result, the use of wheeled walkers has become a popular choice for elderly. Though walkers offer support for the elderly to walk, they are often difficult to use in certain situations. For example, when walking uphill or downhill, the walker tends to roll in the respective directions, forcing the elderly to provide extra force in order to control the walker. Although a mechanical brake can be used to slow down and stop the walker, the brake usually results in an abrupt stop and may consequently cause injury to the user. Another problem is balancing the walker in uneven road conditions, such as on a sloped sidewalk. This is primarily due to the elderly not having the dexterity to balance themselves and keep the walker in control. Moving past convention, Incedonex will address these problems and modify the current wheeled walkers by adding an advanced automatic braking system to prevent the walkers from unwanted rolling backwards or forwards on sloped surfaces, as well as combining automatic balance control on uneven grounds for better maneuvering. In addition, when users are in an unfamiliar surrounding, such as a shopping center, where they are unaware of where washrooms or elevators are located, Incedonex provides a solution by incorporating a state-of-the-art path planning navigating system embedded on the walkers to guide them to their destination. Together with these features and by providing a user-friendly interface, our product is the most advanced walker on the planet. Incedonex is founded by six senior undergraduate engineering students from Simon Fraser University, and have tremendous research and industry experiences. Our skills range from computer science, math, physics, electrical engineering to business management. With our desire to better connect the elderly and the walker, the result is a top-quality product that not only meets our customer s needs, but also demonstrates what is possible beyond the status quo. Our company projects to launch a walker concept prototype that encompasses the features mentioned above by April, The current budget is approximately $700.00, which are funded through various sources. We foresee the prototype to address the issues by the current walkers, and significantly improve the ease of use for elderly. ii

4 Table of Contents Executive Summary... ii 1 Introduction System Overview Possible Solutions Zimmer and Wheeled Walkers Mobility Scooters Proposed Design Solution M-Brake Intelligent Braking System Sense-Steer Smart Obstacles Detector Nav-Pro Path Planning Wizard Sources of Information Budget and Funding Budget Funding Schedule Team Organization Team Profiles Conclusion References List of Figures Figure 1: An example of wheeled walker... 1 Figure 2: Block Diagram of Incedonex Walker System... 2 Figure 3: Conventional Wheeled Walker with brakes... 3 Figure 4: Motorized Scooter... 4 Figure 5: Gantt Chart of project tasks... 9 Figure 6: Milestone chart... 9 List of Tables Table 1: Estimated Costs... 8 iii

5 1 Introduction According to the World Health Organization, in 1998, there were 390 million people over 65 years old, and the number will double by 2025 [9]. Imagining 60% of the elderly population needing some form of a walking aid, the market for such a product is tremendous. A popular walking aid is a wheeled walker, an example of which is shown below. Figure 1: An example of wheeled walker Elderly users typically rely on the walkers for support while moving around. However, the walker s average weight is approximately 7 kg, which they may find too heavy in most situations. When pushing a walker uphill or downhill, the walker tends to roll in the downhill due to the slope. The user must either exert force themselves or apply the brake to prevent the wheeler from rolling. The result is an abrupt stopping action when the brake is applied. Suddenly stopping a walker may cause injuries to the elderly. Due to the weight of the walker, the user may not have enough strength to manually control the roller. We are proposing an automatic brake, which would prevent the walker from rolling and is implemented in a way that facilitates a smooth stop reducing the potential harm to the elderly. Elderly users often do not have the dexterity to control the walker on uneven road and balance themselves at the same time, resulting in the walker tipping over and the users falling. One such scenario is when an elderly using the walker on a laterally sloped road, due to the narrow stance of the walker, the user s center of weight will shift beyond the wheels of the walker, resulting in the walker tipping over sideways, and the elderly falling consequently. Our company plans to add an automatic steering control and balancing system to help the elderly maneuver the walker in uneven road condition. We also plan to incorporate a path planning system in order to assist users to find their way around public places more easily. The following sections will elaborate on our proposed solutions, timeline, and financial information. 1

6 2 System Overview The Incedonex Sure-Step intelligent walking aid is a complete walking assistance system that will aid the user in walking and navigation. Sure-Step consists of three major subsystems: the M-Brake, an intelligent braking mechanism, the Sense-Steer, an adaptive steering and balancing assistance system and the Nav- Pro, an onboard navigational aid. The M-Brake will help smooth out the irregular braking force present on a conventional braking system. This intelligent braking system will also aid in movement on an inclined surface. By applying varying braking forces, the system will help reduce speed on a downward slope or prevent rolling back on an upward slope. The second subsystem, the Sense-Steer, will detect any hazardous obstacles and uneven road conditions, and will actively avoid these obstacles. In addition, this subsystem will also maintain the balance of the walker to prevent the walker from tipping over. The third subsystem, Nav-Pro, will help users find their destination more easily. In an unfamiliar surrounding, this navigation aid may be used to find the closest washroom, exit, elevators and more. Figure 2 shows a general block diagram of the various subsystems of the Incedonex Sure-Step intelligent walking aid. Navigation System Environmental Sensor Input Microcontroller Braking System Steering Control Figure 2: Block Diagram of Incedonex Walker System 2

7 3 Possible Solutions 3.1 Zimmer and Wheeled Walkers In addition to the walking cane, Zimmer frames are one of the most basic forms of mobility aid. It is a box-type frame which a user holds on to for support and carries it forward for every step they take. The frames are fairly lightweight and usually adjustable to suit different users. A variation of this walker, and a very popular choice for mobility aids, is the Wheeled Walker. These types of walkers consist of wheels which are fitted to a lightweight frame (similar to a Zimmer frame) in two, three or four wheel configurations. An example is shown below. Figure 3: Conventional Wheeled Walker with brakes This product provides essential support and removes the cumbersome need to physically lift and move the walker to take a step. The three and four wheeled walkers have become the popular choice for seniors who are capable of mobility but require some assistance for support. These products are also widely available on the market and are often fitted with supplementary parts such as a basket and a seat so that the user can sit down if they are too tired. An inherent problem with using these walkers is speed control. Although most walkers come with built-in brakes, the braking mechanism does not provide a smooth and comfortable experience, which often results in a jerking motion which can be very unpleasant for the user. 3

8 3.2 Mobility Scooters Scooters are motorized mobility aids in which the user is seated and can control motion and steering by means of a handle bar, much like that found on motorcycles. An example is shown below. Figure 4: Motorized Scooter Scooters provide great freedom for elderly people in that it allows them to move about easily, especially outdoors. However, due to the user s static position, it cuts down the amount of exercise one obtains. Another major disadvantage is that prolonged sitting can lead to circulatory problems in the legs. Walking helps circulate blood from the feet to the heart through muscle contractions. Constant sitting restricts this process and blood pools in the veins, which causes swelling. The development of blood clots is known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and poses a serious risk because the clot may break loose and travel through the bloodstream, which could block arteries in the lungs, and ultimately cause death [8], [6]. 4

9 4 Proposed Design Solution To address the problematic areas that were identified on the existing rolling walking aids in the market, we propose a set of possible improvements on the current walking aids. In the following sections, we will provide a breakdown overview of the proposed solution for each of the three problematic areas. 4.1 M-Brake Intelligent Braking System To solve the problem with the braking systems on the current rolling walkers, we propose a speed and acceleration feedback controlled, tilt sensing, variable strength smart braking system. This braking system is aimed to resolve the abrupt nature of the current mechanical braking system by providing a smooth deceleration force. We plan to use an electromagnetic braking system because such braking system can provide smooth variable braking strength that s proportional to its input control current. We can thus manipulate the control current according to the feedback from the speed, acceleration and tilt sensors. This way we can develop a smart system which will automatically determine when to apply the brake and how much braking force to apply in order to give the user smoothest and most comfortable walking experience. Another advantage of this system is that it is not subject to wearing and it is fail-safe since there are no physically touching parts. Current braking system, on the other hand requires maintenance. However, there are also possible problems with the proposed system. Weight is the main concern. The electromagnetic brake could be much heavier than current brakes, depending on how large a brake we install. In addition, depending on the maximum braking force we design to, the required amount of battery required to power the system could add significant weight. However, these are design issue that we are confident to resolving. 4.2 Sense-Steer Smart Obstacles Detector To improve the handling of the current walkers, we aim to assist elderly to maneuver the walker in a non-intrusive manner by designing a user-friendly and intuitively controlled, obstacles and road condition sensing passive power steering system. Current walkers multi-directional wheels are difficult to control on uneven road. In addition, due to the walker s inherently narrow stance and high center of gravity, it is every easy to tip over. We propose an intelligent steering system that will passively react to user s control by estimating the intention of the user, and sensing the road and the surrounding of the walker. Combining all the input 5

10 information, the system will make corresponding corrections in turning the direction of the wheels to avoid obstacles and maintain the balance of the walker. When in an area that is easy to maneuver, the system will not intervene with user s control. The system will be composed of various sensors for detecting the environment as well as obtaining user s input. The intelligent control program will then use these inputs to estimate the user s intention and to compute the optimal steering degrees. The execution will be carried out by a small steering motor. This system provides users with better maneuverability and increased stability and safety. However, the system could suffer the problem of introducing extra weight due to the steering motor and battery components. Its potentially prohibitive cost could put the justification of such system in question. Nevertheless, as a research area, the idea behind such system is worth exploring because of its potential in other applications. 4.3 Nav-Pro Path Planning Wizard The path planning module of our product will include a way for users to receive passive guidance in order to navigate around unfamiliar surrounding. An example to illustrate the use for this feature is a situation where the elderly user would like to know the locations of the nearest washrooms, elevators or exits in a shopping center that they do not frequently visit. Through an input mechanism by which the user is provided with a few buttons to select from, where the buttons denote the frequently visited locations of a shopping center, the user would indicate his/her desire, for example selecting the washroom, by pressing on the button. The walker would in turn programmatically compute the distance and direction of travel, using a shortest path algorithm, and guide the user to the nearest washroom by controlling the steering of the motors. To determine the position of the walker, a series of sensors will be used. One possible solution is to use RFID tags [4]. In addition, a digital compass will also be required to objectively determine the direction of travel, which is an integral part to the path planning algorithm [1]. The proposed solutions for each of the three problems may seem to be overkill and overly expensive at present. As well, we are facing challenges imposed by very limited funding and time restriction. However, as a pioneering research project, the potential of the proposed methods is far beyond the case of improving a walking aid. The braking system can be used on automotives, mass transportations, and other applications where smooth force is required. The intelligent steering system can be expanded into any intelligent control system where the robotic intelligence will assist human control in passive ways, refining human s control. Other areas of use include docking, crane operation, and heavy machinery control. Finally, the path planning module can be adopted not only in shopping centers, but also in large grocery stores where it could be installed in shopping carts, and will assist consumers in locating their goods more easily. In the near future, as the underlining technologies used in the proposed solutions become cheaper and readily available, the cost of such intelligent walking aid could become very affordable. 6

11 5 Sources of Information Our project was inspired from an idea first proposed by Dr. Sharam Payandeh, Professor of Engineering Science, at Simon Fraser University. Subsequently, we also researched the potential for assistive devices for the elderly and handicapped, and found that there is a strong need to improve current walking aids which are widely available and commonly used. Perhaps the most invaluable source of information will be our field study with participating elderly users who actually rely on walking aids on a daily basis. We have arranged such meetings with residents of Canada Way Care Centre to interview with them and receive feedback on our project and on problems they have experienced when using such aids. During our design and implementation stage, we will rely heavily on textbooks and other technical documentation. We will also consult faculty members whose areas of expertise pertain to our project. In particular, we will seek advice from Dr. Sharam Payandeh and Dr. Kamal Gupta regarding the robotics and motion planning of our project. We will also seek advice from Dr. Andrew Rawicz regarding the usability, and medical implications of our project since his area of interest is design and fabrication of Assistive Devices. In the path planning module, we plan to seek advice from Dr. Ladislav Stacho, Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, who specializes in graph theory and networks optimization. Finally, the Internet will be a huge source of information for general research as well as more specific technical research. 7

12 6 Budget and Funding 6.1 Budget Table 1 summarizes the estimated cost of building a prototype of the system. By using evaluation samples and used parts, we plan to meet or improve on this cost estimate. Part Estimated Costs (CDN) Walker $ 300 Braking $ 100 System Steering System Motors $ 100 Navigation System RFid $ 20 Sensors Display $ 40 Battery $ 30 Other Digital $ 60 Electronics Compass Unforeseen $ 50 Costs Totals $ 700 Table 1: Estimated Costs 6.2 Funding Incedonex will seek its funding through applying to the Engineering Science Student Endowment Fund (ESSEF) and the Wighton Fund. In addition, we will also be looking for donations and grants from faculty members at Simon Fraser University. If funding does not sufficiently cover all incurred expenses, Incedonex executives will contribute to cover all the remaining costs. 8

13 7 Schedule Figure 5 shows the Gantt chart of various tasks involved in our project, and the time we expect to spend on each task. Figure 6 shows the dates of the corresponding deliverables and milestones. Figure 5: Gantt Chart of project tasks Figure 6: Milestone chart 9

14 8 Team Organization Incedonex Technologies consists of six talented and ambitious engineers with experience in a wide range of engineering disciplines. The team members are: Daniel Agyar, Duncan Chan, Steven Dai, Yijun Jing, Victor Tai, and Li Xu. All members are fifth year engineering students and have extensive co-ops experience in both hardware design and software development. Our diverse experience and expertise will complement each other and help us achieve a common goal for this project. The members specific skills will be emphasized in the next section. Incedonex s corporate structure is based on a round table seating, in which each member has an equally important seat. Every member has equal responsibility and influence towards the performance of the company. At the same time, each member also has a specialized focus area in the operation of the company. Li Xu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Incedonex, is in charge of overseeing the overall development of the company and integrating all aspects of the company development into a competitive strategic plan that will guarantee the success of our products. Duncan Chan, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), is in charge of the budget and funding of the company, and also will develop strategies for lowering down the product development costs. Steven Dai, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), will supervise the strategic research and development of specialized technologies, spearheading the design and creation of our products. Daniel Agyar, Chief Operating Officer (COO), will be responsible for the management of day-to-day activities and the operation of the company. Victor Tai, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), will be responsible for developing advertisement and marketing strategies for the company. He will also lead the market research and analysis division. Yijun Jing, Chairman of the Board, is the most senior member of the team. He will provide leadership and guidance to the team, motivating and coordinating the team to succeed in this project. To ensure that our team to function efficiently, a weekly meeting is scheduled to review the project progress and plan for next week s activities. This gives us an opportunity to bring everyone up-to-date. The project is broken down into three technical modules, each of which is assigned to two members of the team. The tasks will be assigned based on the individual s strength. The project binder and lab journal, which will be used to record project progress, are effective tools for communication among team members. Incedonex stresses the importance of teamwork. We believe that the power of any individual is limited, but as a team, the impossible can be accomplished. As the project progresses, we will strive to keep a dynamic, open-minded and friendly working environment. 10

15 9 Team Profiles Li Xu, Chief Executive Officer As CEO of Incedonex, Li is responsible for making key decisions and strategic planning to ensure that the company timely produces top-quality product that meets market demand. Li is a fifth-year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University and has a strong background in Mathematics and Physics. He recently held a position as a software developer at Broadcom Corporation. Designing software for VoIP phones has increased his proficiency in C programming and has enabled him to develop an in-depth understanding of embedded systems. He has also held previous research positions at SFU working on projects in robotics. Li s extensive background will serve a vital role in Incedonex s success. Duncan Chan, Chief Financial Officer As Chief Financial Officer of Incedonex, Duncan will oversee the budget and expenses of the company. He is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University, with co-op experiences in robotics research and software development. He also has extensive background in Mathematics and Computer Science. In addition, through his co-op experience, he has gained insights in the operations of a start-up company, which includes managing the accounting and developing marketing strategies of the company. Duncan is an enthusiastic and upbeat individual, and will bring a lot of energy to the team. Among many of his talents, he is very creative and often invokes clear thinking when problem solving is required. Steven Dai, Chief Technology Officer As Chief Technology Officer, Steven Dai will oversee the strategic research and development of specialized technologies, which will give Incedonex its competitive edge in the market. He is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University with extensive software creation experience. Steven has had previous work experience with Nokia Corporation as an integration engineer, piecing software components together to create final smart phone software package. He possesses strong analytical and team management skills. He is good at both creative and critical thinking. His creativity coupled with his extensive experience in software, hardware design and integration, will lead Incedonex s innovation miles ahead of the competitors. 11

16 Daniel Agyar, Chief Operating Officer As Chief Operating Officer of Incedonex, Daniel will be responsible for management of day-to-day activities of the company. He is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University, and has held previous positions as an Applications Engineer with Rockwell Automation and in Quality Assurance with Electronic Arts. Daniel has experience in quality assurance practices and is proficient in designing, integrating and maintaining large scale automated processes through PLC programming and HMI development. Through his work experience, he has also gained insight into the daily operations and logistics of running a large company, which will no doubt be invaluable to Incedonex. Victor Tai, Chief Marketing Officer As Chief Marketing Officer, Victor Tai will be responsible for overseeing the advertising and marketing strategy of the company. He is a Computer Engineering student in his fifth year at Simon Fraser University and is experienced in various software-programming languages such as C/C++ and Java. Victor is currently working at UBVideo as a software developer. He is assisting with the development and testing of a H.264 encoder. He has also worked at the Underwater Research Lab (URL) at Simon Fraser University, where he assisted Dr. John Bird in building a new transmitter and repairing an old sonar system. This work term has given Victor exposure to VHDL/FPGA design and Windows programming. With his technical expertise and team management skills, Victor is a definite asset to the company. Yijun Jing, Chairman of the Board Yijun Jing is the Chairman of the Board and co-founded Incedonex. He is a fifth year Electronics Engineering student at Simon Fraser University and experienced in hardware design and had prototyped several projects. He also has excellent team management skills and has served as a leader on various team projects. As the project lead, Yijun is responsible for coordinating all modules of the project to make sure deadlines of deliverables are met. He currently holds a position with Broadcom Corporation as a QA platform-testing engineer where he has gained significant experience in TCL and Perl script programming. As a senior Engineering student and a versatile team player, Yijun will undoubtedly have an immensely positive contribution to the company. 12

17 10 Conclusion The true measure of technology is not just in how many things it can do, but in how much it enhances the living experience. The Sure-Step intelligent walking aid developed by Incedonex is dedicated to applying cutting edge technology to provide tremendous convenience for the elderly who uses Sure-Step in their daily lives. The lack of intelligence on current walking aids continues to limit elderly s independence especially with respect to outdoor activities. Incedonex s R&D team aspires to give them a new opportunity to experience freedom so greatly desired by providing a smart walking aid which incorporates smart braking, steering and navigation. These modules will serve to reduce injury, improve control and give users an increased sense of security. Thoughtful and intuitive, Sure-Step will provide elderly with the confidence to adventure outdoor, to leisure and shop at will, and brings youth back in time. The presented Gantt and milestones charts, along with in-depth research and highly skilled team members, we are confident that this product will be completed with satisfaction within the projected time frame. By April 2006, the next generation of walking aid will become a reality. 13

18 11 References [1] Acroname Products: Devantech Compass. Jan < [2] Mobility and Health Equipment. Jan 2006 < [3] National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Sep. 9, Falls and Hip Fractures Among Older Adults. Jan. 19, 2006 < [4] RFID, a Whatis.com definition. Jan < [5] Sibum Jun, Heejae Jung, Sang Won An, Hae Don Chon Using RFID for Accurate Positioning. Jan 2006 < [6] The Muscular Dystrophy Association. Feb The MDA/ALS Newsletter Vol. 9, No.2. Jan 2006 < [7] The Swedish Handicap Institute. The Importance of the 4-WheeIed Walker for Elderly Women Living in their Home Environment - a three year study. Jan 2006 < [8] University of Michigan Adult Health Advisor. Jan 2006 < [9] World Health Organization Elderly People: Improving oral health amongst the elderly. Jan. 18, 2006 < 14