‘Super cane’ melds mobility and monitoring

Technology giant Fujitsu has developed a cane that redefines the term “assistive device.”

The New Generation Cane, a high-tech hybrid of mobility assistance and wireless communications, is outfitted with a Global Positioning System, Wi-Fi, 3G cellular communications and an LED screen in the handle, according to PC Magazine.

The cane, introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month, can be programmed to guide the user along a route, vibrate when it’s time to turn the corner, and even allow loved ones to track the user’s location remotely. The cane can sense air temperature and humidity and monitor the user’s heart rate, noted Engadget, the technology reviewing company that test-drove the cane at the tradeshow. The walking device interacts wirelessly with a host computer and can even send an alert if it suspects the user has fallen.

But seniors will have to wait a while—This souped-up smart cane is still considered a prototype.

Watch the hands-on video on YouTube by The Verge’s David Pierce.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.