Registration for the “Innovation” Challenge

Robo’Lyon team is officially registered for the “Innovation” Challenge with its “Walk Assistant” project.

Problem description

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a progressive loss of part of the neurons in the brain. The consequences can be multiple, including muscle stiffness, “slowness” to react, and fatigue. In addition, in some cases, it makes walking difficult.

People with Parkinson’s disease often have difficulty walking. However, they have been found to be able to climb stairs. In compiling numerous studies, it was found that barriers/obstacles often allowed people with Parkinson’s disease to lift their feet and then walk. 

Parkinson’s patients also have problems with stiffness and slowness throughout their entire body, especially in the joints (knees, ankles, elbows…).

This rigidity causes the motion problem poses the problem of movement and explains why people with Parkinson’s disease have problems walking. Our project must meet several constraints: it must be solid, easy to use and light so as not to not penalize the person,.

Robo’Lyon is particularly sensitive to this project because several members of the team have relatives with this disease. We think of them, and also of all the people affected by this disease.

Proposed solution

We very quickly understood, after consultation with doctors specialized in the disease, in particular Professors Thobois and Danaila of the Neurological Hospital of Lyon, that it would be necessary to create an obstacle to make the patient walk. To do this we imagined a laser-based system, allowing us to simulate an obstacle at the feet of the person suffering from Parkinson’s disease. This obstacle should allow him the person to lift and throw one of his feet, thus initiating the movement of walking. 

We propose to create a box containing a laser, which is attached to a belt and sends a beam to the ground corresponding to the obstacle to be overcome. 

The system must adapt to all patients, regardless of their age, size, morphology… 

One of its main assets must be its lightness and size, so as not to overload and hinder the patient in his movement.

We plan to meet patients, as well as physiotherapists and nurses, to discuss their daily life and the problems they encounter, and above all to test our future prototype.

Technology

The box made from 3D printing using eco-friendly yarn will include :

– 2 lasers: 1 for each foot

– 1 arduino nano card equipped with 2 accelerometers which allows the patient’s walking speed to be determined and the frequency of appearance of obstacles materialized with the lasers to be adapted as best as possible.

– 1 9-volt battery easily rechargeable

Programming is carried out in C language directly on the arduino nano.

This project will require CAD knowledge as well as programming skills.

The first tests to determine the walking speed from the accelerometer data are conclusive.

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Thanks VALHE France

ROBO’LYON a remporté au moins un prix chaque année a déjà été qualifié 3 fois au championship a été fondé en 2015 comprend environ 40 membres