The Project
Industrial Design undergraduates and Occupational Therapy graduate students teamed up to design “a rehabilitation device” for the 2018 RESNA Competition. GaitMate is a medical device to aid individuals with Parkinson’s and Freezing of Gait (FOG).
Year
Sophomore Year (2017)
Healthcare + Industrial Design
Completed with Jessica Monteleone and Abigail Balster
Walking Without Worry
GaitMate is a wearable device that provides visual, auditory, and haptic feedback to reduce the frequency and duration of freezing episodes (FOG) in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. GaitMate sits on the center of a user’s waist and an adjustable laser projects a transverse line for an individual to aim their steps toward. When GaitMate detects that the user has either frozen up or begun shuffling, a vibratory and auditory metronome begins to help the individual sync their movements to a beat, and begin walking again.
"About one million Americans live with Parkinson's disease with approximately 60,000 new cases each year"
— Parkinson's Foundation
Freezing of Gait (FOG)
a condition that inhibits an individuals’ ability to walk; described as if your feet are frozen or stuck to the ground
Discovering an Opportunity
Research indicated that multiple queueing methods were most effective in ending a FOG episode, yet nothing on the market at the time existed combining these methods. This combination, along with some other considerations, became our design criteria.
Visual
Currently in rehab painters tape is used on the ground to form lines to act as a visual cue
Audible
Metronomes give the patient something to focus on when making the next step
Haptic
Ankle bracelets are used in facilities, but no consumer solution exists that integrates haptics
Accessible
GaitMate should be accessible to both early-stage and late-stage Parkinson's individuals could easily use and integrate into their everyday routine
Unobtrusive
GaitMate should blend in with the users' current attire and not stand out like existing products
Comparing the Competition
While none of our methods for stopping a FOG episode was unique, our combination of the three methods set us a part from other products. We did a competitive analysis of the existing products and determined what was and wasn’t working.
High Contrast Tape
- Not practical for use alone
Metronome Apps
- Metrical beat is effective and could be integrated into the device
Laser Canes
- Laser out front
- Little to no laser adjustment
Agilitas
- Unsupported design
- Expensive
PathFinder
- Laser Out front
- Laser moves a lot while walking
Gondola
- Delivers haptics feet up
- Large and not attractive
Breadboards, Chip Clips, and a side of Pi
Before we began form development, we needed to get an understanding of what would be living inside the casework. We used a variety of prototype boards and clips to proof out the idea. Once we had a working prototype, we moved on to shrinking the components to create a more manageable package.
A Superpowered Utility Belt
Once we knew we determined a waist-mounted laser would work best, I recalled the old spiderman comics and the light on his utility belt. If spiderman could make hip-mounted lights cool, so could we!
Setting the Mood
We wanted GaitMate to feel “hip” and not give off medical device vibes. We took a look at different types of hip-mounted devices along with different types of textures.
Waist Mounted
Friendly
Modern
Soft
Accessible
Simple
One-Handed
Adjustable
Casting the Case
We wanted to have both a working model, as well as a “looks-like” model for the presentation. While some parts could be 3D printed, many of the features were designed around using a soft material. This led us to experiment with casting the silicone shells for the device.
Forget Freezing
Constructing full-scale flexible models allowed us to test out the reliability and durability of the shells. They provided a flexible and effective way to use one device for various situations.
Belt shell in action
Flip Clip in action
LIVE! with GaitMate
I presented on GaitMate at the 2018 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) conference. The presentation consisted of a live presentation and a live simulated demo of me wearing GaitMate. We placed second in the overall competition and won the TREAT award (most likely to be commercially successful).
