A team at Stanford University has built the prototype of an intelligent walker with embedded sensors, voice recognition and GPS technology to reduce fall risk and confusion, and to increase walker convenience.

The user might stand in his walker and say “bedroom.” The GPS combined with indoor sensors would know where the walker is, map the route to the bedroom and avoid stairs, low furniture and other hazards while guiding Grandpa to bed.

The walker can also park itself and return to the user when signaled by remote control.

For navigational assistance, a continuously updated map and large arrow are displayed on a screen attached to the walker. An odometer provides feedback about the distance traveled.

Details and images in the PDF of the research.

Developed by Jared Glover, David Holstius, Michael Manojlovich, Keirsten Montgomery, Aaron Powers, Jack Wu, Sara Kiesler, Judith Matthews, and Sebastian Thrun.

Via robot gossip USA Today.