Walking Stick Light Emitter for Balance Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing walking aids, such as sticks, do not effectively provide balance assistance to users, as the position for thrusting the stick to maintain stability is often unknown, leading to potential falls.
Innovation Solution
A walking stick with a controlled light emitting direction based on the detected inclination angle and balance stability evaluation, which emits light to indicate the next thrust position, adjusting the light emitting angle to stabilize balance and prevent falls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple walking stick is used, then the device is easy to operate and portable, but it cannot provide effective balance assistance because the user does not know the correct thrust position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light emitter as an intermediary tool that visually indicates the correct thrust position on the ground. The light serves as a mediator between the stick and the user, providing clear visual feedback about where to apply force for optimal balance assistance, thereby resolving the contradiction between simplicity and effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by using sensors to detect the user's walking state and balance, then adjusting the light emission to indicate the appropriate thrust position. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the simple stick to provide reliable balance assistance by continuously guiding the user on the correct thrust position based on real-time balance detection
2Device complexity
If the light emits in a fixed direction, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to changes in user inclination and walking conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the light emission direction adjustable based on the user's inclination angle. The light emitter can change its beam direction dynamically to maintain the correct indication position on the ground even when the user's posture or inclination changes, thereby achieving adaptability without excessive structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the light emission parameters (specifically the emission angle and position) based on detected inclination angles and walking conditions. By adjusting these optical parameters in response to sensor data, the system achieves versatility in adapting to different walking scenarios while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple
Data Source
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AI summary
A walking stick (100) includes a main part (110) that is stick-like, a sensor (130) that detects at least one of an acceleration of the main part (110) and an angular velocity of the main part (110), a light emitter (150) that emits light on a ground, a balance evaluator (142) that evaluates a user's walking balance stability based on at least one of the detected acceleration and the detected angular velocity, and an emitting controller (144) that controls a light emitting direction of the light based on a result of the evaluation and an inclination angle of the main part (110).