Gizmodo: olds

'Help Lock' Doorknob Protects Olds From Bathroom Peril

John Herrman — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:41:39 EST

Sometimes, old people fall and they can't get up. It's a fact! Designer Haishan Deng has proposed a simple, timed bathroom doorknob for folks who are prone to such accidents, living alone, or clumsy.

Here's how it works: In the initial setup, you program a time limit—say, 20 minutes—for your future bathroom. From that point on, whenever you close the door and activate the alarm, the Help Lock will sound a preliminary alarm after the allotted time, giving the bathroom inhabitant 30 seconds to deactivate it. After that, the doorknob will initiate an alert call to whatever number you've chosen to enter, whether it be a neighbor or emergency services.

The concept seems like a pragmatic approach to a real problem for senior citizens, but begs for one minor modification. Does forcing an old person to scramble from a bathtub to deactivate an alarm that your forgot about sound like a good idea? Throw another minute on there and we've probably got a winner. Check out a more in-depth description of the Help Lock's functionality at [Yanko]

Honda's Groin-Threatening Robo-Legs Demonstrated On Video

John Herrman — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:18:29 EST

Why Honda took a few days to seed a video of their potentially emasculating robotic legs is beyond me, but here it is: a faceless man running the "Walking Assist Device" through its strides (ha, ha). My fears of testicular danger are only partially mitigated, and the fact that the legs have a hilariously feminine gait doesn't offer much comfort. That said, they do seem to work: the demonstrator never falls down, and appears to exert very little energy, even during deep squats. [Akihabara]

Honda Robo-Legs Help Mobility at the Expense of Fertility

John Herrman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:11:04 EST

Honda's first foray into robotizing old peoples' haunches looked pretty tame, but this new one, on which geriatrics are supposed to mount like some sort of meat trophy, feels like a glimpse into a horrible, dystopian future where up is down, right is wrong and grandmas and grandpas amble through Sears on mechanized rectal steeds instead of walkers. The machine, which I'm 90% sure is just the missing half of this Battle Droid from Attack of the Clones, is more a passive support device than it is a set of active robot limbs, though it does have a small electric motor.

Details are a bit sparse for the time being, but Honda claims that the legs transparently reduce the strains of walking, standing and crouching, and should be "as easy to use as a bicycle." The AP reporter who got to test the robo-legs had this to say about them:

This reporter found it does take some getting used to. But I could sense how it supported my moves, pushing up on my bottom when I squatted and pushing at my soles to help lift my legs when I walked.

Uses will not be limited to assisting mobility for seniors. Honda claims that one of the most practical uses for the legs would be at factories, where workers may have to assume repetitive, uncomfortable postures. The device is still in its experimental stages, but Honda plans to start testing early models on its factory workers as soon as next month. [Honda via AP]

Laser Windshield System Keeps the Elderly Driving Longer For Some Reason

Adam Frucci — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:14:08 EDT

Which sounds like a better way to make the roads safer: rescind drivers licenses from people who are very old and have failing vision, or create a fancy system with lasers to allow them to keep driving. If you answered the latter, you're in the same camp as General Motors. They're hard at work on a fancy new windshield that uses lasers, infrared sensors and a camera to make it easier for your decrepit old granddad to see just where the hell he's going.

The system projects a laser on the windshield to highlight things that you should be noticing, like the edge of the road on a foggy day or that first grade class on the crosswalk. The system is still a long way off, thanks to the many elements that would need to be put in place. For example, a mechanism would need to track your head and eyes to make sure the lasers were properly placed.

But hey, it'll be easier than prying the licenses out of the stubborn hands of people who are no longer fit to command a dangerous vehicle, right? [CNN]

SatNav system for Zimmer Frames for Those Senior Moments

AddyDugdale — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:30:36 EST

So, gadgeteers, this is what we will be reduced to riding around on by the year 2080. Developed by the University of Arnhem-Nijmegen in Holland, the Zimmer SatNav is for either olds, amnesiacs or for people whose sense of direction is so poor that they get lost on their way to the bathroom.

It's Luddite-friendly, with just five large buttons on it, each with a symbol, such as a toilet or a cup of coffee. And, while the GPS works just fine outdoors, the Zimmer SatNav works indoors as well, automatically switching to wireless so users don't go to sleep in the closet by mistake. [Daily Mail]