Granddaughter of Parkinson’s patient invents ‘smart’ walking stick

The granddaughter of a Parkinson’s patient has invented a smart walking stick that helps people with the disease to walk by regaining their rhythm

Product design technology graduate, Neha Shahid Chaudhry, of the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) invented the ‘smart’ walking stick after witnessing her late granddad repeatedly suffering falls when his joints seized up, according to UWE Bristol.

The smart walking stick is a mobility aid that resembles a conventional walking stick but has technology integrated into the plastic handle, including a sensor which can detect when the user has stopped taking steps.

Once it has identified a pause, the stick emits a pulsating beat to help the patient resume walking.

Chaudhry said: “People with Parkinson’s get jammed in one place and can’t step forward - it can cause falls.

“They need any kind of rhythm or sequence to get them started again, because it acts as a reminder. The beat is inside the handle – it senses when you stop and turns off automatically when you start walking again. Patients say it encourages them to walk and they learn to pace with it.”

According to UWE Bristol Chaudhry, who is only 23 and the founder of start-up company Walk to Beat, has been overwhelmed by the response to the technology.

Chaudhry said: “When I gave the product to patients to be tested, there were smiles on their faces and they were saying ‘This could really work’.

“It seems unbelievable that I have made something which could help people, even if it is to a small extent.

“There isn’t a cure for Parkinson’s – medication just prolongs the condition and helps you stay alive for longer. My aim is to make their lives a bit better while they are dealing with it.”

The smart walking stick has already been successfully tested among dozens of Parkinson’s patients and, according to UWE Bristol the NHS and the Parkinson’s UK charity have expressed an interest in the device.