Robo Walker
Location
United States
Full Invention Name:
Robo Walker
Team Name:
Punators
Team Number:
557
Team Description:
We are a co-ed team of 5th and 6th graders (ages 10-12) from Honolulu, HI. Our FLL experience ranges from 1-3 years. This year, we really enjoyed working with our Senior Partner, Nobu, whom we met through the physical therapist we interviewed as part of our Project research. We named our robot after her, and gave her the honor of being listed first on our patent application; she made a helpful suggestion to our invention and we included it in the design. She even came to cheer us on at the state championship. In addition to working on FLL, we enjoy playing Minecraft and swimming together. One fun fact for our team is that we have a huge height difference. Our shortest member is 4’6” whereas our tallest is over 5’9”.
Category:
Independent
Brief Submission Description:
Robo Walker is a robotic-assisted walker that will return to the senior with a push of a button, located on a lanyard. When the walker has moved out of arms reach, it will alert the senior. When seniors fall, many break a hip; 50% die within a year of breaking a hip – making prevention of falls crucial in saving seniors’ lives. We learned this startling fact in our meetings with an orthopedic surgeon, a prosthetist, and confirmed it by research. When we interviewed a physical therapist, she explained that most seniors fall when they are trying to get back to their walker. It sparked our idea. We were able to build a working prototype of the Robo Walker, using PVC piping, NXT motors and wheels, ultrasonic and IR sensors, a simple remote control, and an NXT brain. We filed a patent application for our walker, and would very much like to bring it to production. Every expert we consulted said its unique design would make a significant difference in the lives of seniors.
Team Website
http://www.punators.com
