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  Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Chi Mei Hospital worked together to create new achievements: "multi-functional mobility aids cane" for the safety of the elderly.    2018/8/16    

 

"Multi-functional mobility aids cane," completed by Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Chi Mei Hospital, won first place in the 2018 Medical Aids 3D Print Competition hosted by AI_ROBOT@I-Shou University STEAM Base, bring forth new assistance to disabled elderly.

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【The team members included Professor Pei-Zhan Chen of STUTS, Director Jin-Rong Guo of Chi Mei Hospital, Dr. Yi-Feng Lin of Chi Mei Hospital, Ph.D. student Rui-Zhen Weng of STUST, graduate student Su-Chung Chen of STUST, Head Nurse Nai-Jin Chen, and their work "multi-functional mobility aids cane.”】

"Technology always comes from human nature." Only by combining scientific and technological ideas can we gradually create related products that are closer to living care. This May, under the call of Director Jin-Rong Guo of Chi Mei Medical Center, the interdisciplinary team quickly came into form. The "multifunctional mobility aids cane" team included Professor Pei-Zhan Chen of STUTS, Director Jin-Rong Guo of Chi Mei Hospital, Dr. Yi-Feng Lin of Chi Mei Hospital, Ph.D. student Rui-Zhen Weng of STUST, graduate student Su-Chung Chen of STUST, Head Nurse Nai-Jin Chen.

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【The team was awarded first place in the 2018 3D Print Competition for Medical Aids.】

Similar canes available in the market generally only have a single grip, a single support, a single design, a single use; they are not designed according to customers’ demands and case requirements. The "multi-functional mobility aid cane" was created by an interdisciplinary team, based on actual clinical needs and combined with biomedical electromechanical technology to create a diversified cane design.

The award-winning cane product was designed with 5 key elements, namely, strong magnet with great power, double handles for good grip, good lighting for viewing, four-point support, and tailor-made strength. With the addition of a button above the 3D printing cane grip and a laser device to remind the passerby of rain and fog, the cane pays particular attention to the safety of the elderly. As it comes with a powerful magnet in front of the grip and uses magnetic force to drop it on the ground, it can prevent the old man from falling or tripping upon bending over to picking up the key. The handle of the single cane is added to the side, so that the elderly can increase their grip of the auxiliary support, which is more conducive to stand up, While the embedded LED lights increase the road lighting In order to identify road obstacles, the change from single point support to four-point support increases the handle stick, making it unlikely to fall. Since the 3D printing is tailor-made, it drew 3D printed images according to the case hand and increase the grip area. To facilitate the grip, this customized grip is detachable and replaceable with a composite material (PLA and carbon fiber) to increase the strength of the cane.

As President Deng-Maw Lu of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology said, STUST and the Chi Mei Medical Center have been close partners for years. It is believe that with the close cooperation and efforts of them, there will be better development of medical innovation and products. Prof. Pei-Zhan Chen of the Department of Electronic Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said that he was very grateful to Dean Zhong-Ching Chiu of Chi Mei Medical Center and Deputy Dean Zhi-Chong Wang for their support to the team.

 
 

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