For most older adults, their own homes are the overwhelmingly preferred environment for living and growing older. However, for those living in homes with stairs, the difficulty and risk of injury in stair ascent/descent is a major challenge in their daily life, which may endanger the feasibility of such a choice. In this project, we have worked on a novel assistive device, namely RailBot, to help mobility-challenged individuals (including frail older adults) to climb stairs more easily. Unlike the traditional elevators and stair lifts, the RailBot is a highly compact device that can be easily installed in existing stairways, allowing it to benefit a large number of individuals living in homes with stairs. Further, by assisting the users’ stair climbing instead of carrying them upstairs, the RailBot enables and encourages the users to maintain and enhance their stair-climbing capabilities, and thus contributes to their long-term physical health. Moreover, the second generation of RailBot is capable of assisting users during stair descending as well.
SKILLS DEVELOPED
PROJECT MEDIA
RailBot Gen 1.0 Prototype
RailBot Transmission System
RailBot Gen 1.0 Prototype Testing
RailBot Gen 2.0 Prototype
RailBot Gen 2.0 Stair Ascending Testing
RailBot Gen 2.0 Stair Descending Testing
