WalkMate

WalkMate is an audio/visual walking aid designed to run on a mobile device such as a mobile phone or pda.

People diagnosed with Parkinson disease can suffer from a number of disorders which can lead to quite considerable physical disability if the disorders are not adequately managed. Or, to put it another way, the physical disabilities suffered by those diagnosed with Parkinson disease can be alleviated through effective management strategies.

Unfortunately most people with Parkinson disease will suffer from difficulties with their walking at some point. These difficulties can be due to slowness or step length and sufferers can be at quite a risk of tripping. These walking disorders are quite often not helped by antiparkinsonian medication and as a result Physiotherapists can devote a significant amount of time to the teaching of coping strategies to help patients overcome the difficulties.

There is a body of evidence¹ to support the belief that people with Parkinson disease can move more easily in the presence of external audio or visual cues.

WalkMate is designed to provide the necessary audio and visual cues to aid with walking.

How it works...

The mobile device keypad is used to start, stop and control the rate of the audio/visual cue.
The 4 and 6 keys on the keypad change the walking speed which is displayed in the centre of the screen.
Use the keypad (5) to start/stop the tone generator.
When started the audio clicks will be output at the specified rate and the feet displayed on the screen will alternate between a solid and a semi-transparent colour.

References

1. Morris M E. Movement Disorders in People With Parkinson Disease: A Model for Physical Therapy. Physical Therapy, Volume 80, Number 6, June 2000 578-597