The design project discussed in this blog is related to a health condition. Please consult with a healthcare professional before applying any ideas or concepts mentioned here to your specific situation.
While Parkinson’s is notorious for its debilitating tremors and shakes, Freezing of Gait is one of the most common symptoms that individuals experience daily. This symptom severely impedes movement and confidence, causing users’ legs to become randomly stuck when walking as either foot can be ‘glued to the floor’.
Current devices on the market aim to solve this problem by playing cues that stimulate walking through stimuli such as lasers or sounds. However, their adoption rate in the community could be higher, as they are expensive, stigmatising, and inaccessible to many people.
Peter is unique as it provides these cues to users discretely, comfortably, and automatically. Bone conduction technology ensures the device plays audible cues through the user’s collarbone while simultaneously granting them awareness of their surroundings. The lightweight neckband design uses accessible touchpoints and is combined with a clip-on tracker that can be attached to any shoe, automatically detecting freezing episodes and preventing them instantaneously.