Techniques de la robotique : application au développement de déambulateurs adaptés au handicap à la marche des personnes âgées

Walking handicap in the elderly is the addition of ageing and diseases. Motor, sensorial and cognitive aspects are all involved. Robotic technology may compensate intricate deficiencies through adaptation of the help to the environment. Smart walkers are robotically augmented walking aids that may save the user the need for someone to help. They may be passive systems, when the user needs to push, able to detect and avoid obstacles (MARC Robotic Walker), or have both passive and active mode (the user follows them) and lead the user to a place of his choice in the nursing home (Nursebot, Care-O-Bot). One smart walker has had long-term evaluation in gerontologic setting (Guido), but is still quite expensive. Monimad smart walker project is adding an aid for the patient to stand or seat. We studied the kinematics and kinetics when an elderly handicapped person gets up with someone helping. The data collected in the design of the command law. The functioning of the Monimad prototype was first tried on young healthy volunteers and tests in the elderly are on going.