Smart Stick for Elderly

In the past few decades, the technology boom has unleashed an enormous potential to explore and implement various assistive devices for the elderly to lead their life independently. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a prototype which would serve as an efficient aid for the elderly and people with Alzheimer's in mild stage. This stick is embedded with various features making it a Smart walking stick. This walking stick can monitor various health parameters and informs the nearby primary health center and caretaker of any abnormalities. This smart stick can also help elder persons to reach home safely if they lost themselves when go out alone. The proposed stick can also be used to control home appliances and to remind the user for taking the medicine on time. This prototype is designed using a low cost Wi-Fi chip with TCP/IP stack and Microcontroller produced by Espressif systems for implementing controller functionality and the appropriate sensors. All the modules of proposed smart stick along with the battery must be concealed inside the stick to reduce the risk of damage to the circuit and look elegant. This stick is tested to verify the functionality of all features and this would be very useful for elders to restore their confidence and increase mobility when compared to the conventional sticks available in the market only for walking.