Assessment of an Intelligent Robotic Rollator Implementing Navigation Assistance in Frail Seniors

BACKGROUND: Assistive technologies are playing vital role in frail seniors. OBJECTIVE: The paper presents the methodology and findings from the assessment of an active "intelligent" robotic rollator incorporating navigation assistance in frail seniors. METHODS: Thirty seniors, having moderate motor impairment were grouped into two categories according to their cognitive status. A complicated trail was defined to test their performance using a robotic rollator. The main descriptive statistics were given, while inference was performed via the corresponding parametric t tests and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests. A principal component analysis was utilized to extract the variable classes that explain the overall behavior of the sample. RESULTS: Navigation assistance was proved helpful to the cognitive impaired group. The results between the two groups were comparable in terms of completion time and success rate. The provided directional audio cues led to smoother walking paths and better orientation. There was no correlation between the MMSE values and the total time of the walk (p = 0.696 > 0.05 for Pearson's correlation between MMSE and total walk time). CONCLUSIONS: The integration of navigation assistance in mobility assistance devices can help the elderly to effectively orient themselves in challenging and unknown environments.