Designing for quality of life

Client

Camino Inc.

Services

Product Architecture

Industrial Design

Engineering Liaison

Visualisation

Recognition

What it is

Camino is a walker that is aware and active.

Its unique combination of artificial intelligence and robotics gives people the boost, support and awareness they need to be mobile. Camino is a revolutionary approach to giving people with mobility challenges the opportunity for an independent life.

Design

We designed Camino to communicate activity rather than disability. It is slender, integrated and has a dynamic forward leaning stance taking visual cues from athletic equipment like carbon fiber bikes rather than existing walkers.

We designed Camino to communicate activity rather than disability.

  • Camino is a walker like no other. Through sophisticated artificial intelligence it identifies situations of danger or difficulty. Consequently, it will provide seamless motorised support in steering, acceleration and breaking to support the user.

    The walker is an ongoing project and we are supporting Camino with the functional and aesthetic design of their device.

  • A multitude of sensors gather situational awareness. Like an autonomous car Camino knows where it is, which direction it is going at what speed and what is happening around it.

    Forward facing lidar sensors gather information on hazards such as walls, curbs and cracks in the pavement. Magnetic sensors in the steering motors inform the system on the angle of the wheels. An integrated IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) keeps the system constantly informed on grade angles, accelerations, and the absolute direction of Camino.

    Capacitive and force sensors in each handle informs Camino of when the user is holding the device, and of their grip pressure; 4 cameras pointed inwards constantly keep track of the user's gait and posture. Using sensors in the wheels, Camino can perceive what the user wants to do – how fast they want to walk, if they have stopped walking, if they want to turn, etc. – and can provide just the right amount of boost or braking to keep them safely walking.

Camino dramatically improves on common walker capabilities to provide previously unthinkable independence to people with mobility challenges.

  • The smart power wheels automatically give a Camino a gentle boost, so it feels light as a feather no matter how steep the slope.

    Walking downhill is a common point of difficulty and danger. Camino provides just the right amount of resistance to make walking downhill with ease and peace of mind, without having to squeeze the brakes!

    Side slopes are a common difficulty for traditional walkers. Camino makes it easy to push on side slopes — the smart power wheels magically make it steer against the slope to keep a straight line.

    Uneven and cracked surfaces can be a source of tripping and falling. Caminos motorized wheels and steering keep Camino from getting caught and smoothly guide the user across uneven surfaces.

  • We designed around the real challenges people may experience maneuvering a walker. Tight spaces can be frustrating with traditional walkers. We designed Camino to be safely narrowed to get through narrow passages.

    Camino can be fully folded in just a few seconds making it small enough to fit under a restaurant table, put in the trunk of your car, or take on an airplane.

    The handles are lowered easily from the grips to provide the right support when sitting down and getting up from a seat.

  • … are the key to a grand day out! Camino features a modular accessory system. Based on a “banjo hole” attachment system it can be outfitted with a seat-back, a carry bag, a cup holder and a phone holder. This is just the beginning of a growing ecosystem of accessories.

  • We integrated multiple sensors specifically to provide safety to the user. Cameras, combined with computer vision artificial intelligence, can monitor and analyse the user's gait for risks and abnormalities. The gait data can be fused with device speed and grade data to paint a deep longitudinal perspective for physical therapists and users. This can be further enhanced with biometric data from wearables such as a Fitbit.

    Uneven and cracked surfaces can be a source of tripping and falling. Camino’s motorised wheels and steering keep Camino from getting caught and smoothly guide the user across uneven surfaces.

    Camino uses sensors to detect if the user is unstable, and applies the brakes automatically to help them stabilise.

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