NITRO: a gadget to transform standard rollators into smart rollators for monitoring user conditions

Abstract

The goal of using a rollator is to provide physical stability, support, and increased independence while walking or performing daily activities. The decision to use a rollator is often made in consultation with healthcare professionals, who assess the individual's mobility limitations and recommend the appropriate assistive device. Rollators can be becoming 'smart' by including sensors and actuators, and they can remotely monitor the user conditions. This allows caregivers or family members to remotely monitor the user's condition, track their activities, and receive alerts or notifications if any issues arise. That is particularly important in care home facilities, where the ratio of users per caregiver is high. This work presents the design and initial test of NITRO, a gadget that turN a rollator Into a smart ROllator to monitor the user's gait and routines in care home facilities. Two main requirements have been imposed by the caregivers: first, the gadget should be attached (and detached) to any standard rollator frame (four-wheels, three-wheels, two rear wheels): and seconds, it can personalize the monitoring depending on the users who use the gadget.