RooWalk

A blue kangaroo silhouette with a circular cutout representing its body, set against a black background.

Empowering children with impaired mobility by developing an electrically powered walker.

Team Size:
5
Location:
Germany
Founders:
Benjamin Pardowitz,Maria Enge
Program(s):

The Problem

Children with cerebral palsy face significant mobility issues. Existing assistive devices are not sufficient in enabling them to move around independently, thus manual support by adults is required permanently. Without independent mobility, young children are at risk of developing passive, dependent behaviour resulting in decreased participation and isolation. Severe long-term physical damages arise as a consequence of insufficient movement, which are currently being treated with severe surgical interventions to correct deformities and with permanent medication (botulinum toxin type A) against spasticity.

The Solution

RooWalk's wheel driven posterior walker combines elements from rehabilitation robotics to replicate the function typically performed by parents holding their child from behind by the waist, pelvis or shoulders and following intended movements in all directions while lifting, controlling and supporting as much as needed. The child uses its entire body to control it and lets the device automatically follow its own intentional movements without additional elements such as joysticks. This allows children to MOVE HANDS-FREE in ALL DIRECTIONS and UP and DOWN using less strength and control in their legs and trunk. With electrical support, any INDOOR & OUTDOOR obstacles such as doorsteps, lowered curbs or bumps on playgrounds and grassland can be overcome INDEPENDENTLY without any extra effort. The technology of RooWalk builds upon the Segway principle, in which movements are triggered by minimal shifts of the user's centre of gravity. A fully functional prototype was developed, built by the co-founder engineering team and tested successfully with children of several severities of their mobility impairments within a clinical setting.