Friwalk: Mobility walker meets personal trainer robot

Siemens has announced the development of a Friendly Robot Walker, or FriWalk, that will be tested by 100 seniors in Spain, Italy and England over the next two years.

FriWalk is a high-tech mobility aid that contains depth sensors and cameras to help support the user and monitor their gait and mood using gestural and facial recognition systems. Not only can it detect health risks, but FriWalk also acts as a personal trainer, suggesting nearby activities or places of interest to the user and collecting information about their health as they walk.

Siemens is hoping to roll out the walker in hospitals and for individuals after testing. Product manager Luigi Palopoli from the University of Trento in Italy explains "Our goal is to have one version of the walker for hospitals and a less expensive version that costs less than €2,000 (1,94,370 Indian Rupees) for families."