Gizmodo: walking aid

Crutch Chair Design Transforms for Impromptu Sitting

Kit Eaton — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:18:32 EDT

Ever broken a leg? Know how much hassle it is to stumble around in crutches? Designer Yong-Rok Kim's Crutch Chair is intended to be a partial solution to the problem of knackering yourself out when walking like this. The two halves of his design snap together to form a neat seat-like thing so you can take the weight off your injury. Seems a darn sensible idea. With just one concern: that connection. Will you break your other leg when it gives way as you sit? Death by crutch it shall be! It's just a concept— we imagine it'd be boring gray or "medical pink" if it were ever made real. [Yanko design]

White Stick for the Blind Gets Sensor Upgrade with "Tactile Wand"

Kit Eaton — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:08:48 EST

Designer Jin Woo Han has created the "Tactile Wand" as a 21st-century conceptual white stick for the blind. The rechargeable gadget uses some sort of distance sensor and communicates by buzzing, letting the user know of upcoming obstacles: the stronger the buzz, the nearer the object. Neat design, Jin, but can it detect doggy doo like the old-fashioned stick could? What happens if the batteries die when you're mid-street crossing? We reckon it would take some re-education of cops too: pointing a strange looking stick at people in public these days is probably a big no-no. [Coroflot via Gadget lab]

Lap-Around-Japan Pedometer Lets You Virtual Hike Around Japan During Your Daily Commute

AddyDugdale — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:09:17 EST

Out in Japan at the end of next month, U-Mate's Lap-Around-Japan pedometer is a novel idea to get people walking. Instead of noting the same old landmarks (skyscraper, dog toilet, convenience store, interminable roadworks, pervy builders, etc. etc.) the miles you cover are transposed into miles around the japanese coastline. The device also keeps you entertained on your journey by acting as a kind of geographic Wikipedia for you. Confused? Read on.

Let's say you walk a mile and a half to work every morning, and then the same distance back home in the evening. The U-Mate device will convert your three city miles into three coastline miles, starting from the closest part of the coast to your real location. As you walk, little factoids will pop up on the screen about local sights, history and produce.
With over 11,000 miles of coastline, the makers of the U-Mate reckon it would take around 30 years for a virtual circumnavigation of the country if your daily commute was one mile. [Kilian-Nakamura]