Next Steps: co-designing open-source walking aids

Next Steps is an experimental initiative developed by the makerspace Polifactory with Sanofi Genzyme and Associazione Italiana Glicogenosi (AIG) to develop a collection of open source walking aids co-created by designers, makers, and patients. The project started mapping the use of walking aids by a group of patients, to understand their needs and set-up a co-creation workshop that involved designers and patient-innovators. Four concepts have been generated and then presented to patients and their family during the AIG Annual Meeting. Crutch Skins is an aesthetical solution concerning the co-design of removable socks, skins, and covers for all kind of crutches that can be easily personalized and materialized using 3D printing and laser cut, also recycling various textile scraps. The Augmented Rollator is an IoT device that can improve the control and mobility of the walkers. Once installed on the wheels, it can be activated to facilitate the overcoming of small obstacles, to have a small push uphill, more braking capacity downhill, and receive basic feedback on obstacles or unevenness of the ground. Crutch Add-ons is a set of small functional open source of components, tools and joints that allow patients to use their walking aids in many ways. Finally, Parametric Stick concerns the development of a digital design and fabrication method to materialize personal parametric sticks having a 3D printed geometrical structure. All these solutions have been presented for the first time at European Maker Faire Rome 2019.