Pilaar – Cane for active ageing
Experiencing the present moment with awareness can be seen as a keystone in personality development. Time spent in a natural environment conduces to the experientiality and apperception of the moment. Connectedness to nature has positive effects on the physical, mental and cognitive levels of our subjective wellbeing. I based my theoretical work on the master’s thesis of hiking as it is one of the types of coexisting with nature and I associated it with the elderly, who would be more worthwhile to establish and maintain such relationships.
Because of the ageing of our society, it is more and more important to pay attention to designing the tools used by the older generation. The various walking aids, especially the canes, play a significant role in supporting and easing casual activities and also hiking. While researching the products designed for elderly people and the everyday ergonomic problems and needs, my purpose was to design a walking stick, which gives stability and confident grip in different situations (for example in case of standing up, stair stepping, climbing up- or downhill).
4 grip points of the cane
Opening up the end of the cane to switch between the two stages of usage
To be able to do this, the walking stick provides four grip points that best help the user’s moving in specific situations. The cane allows the elders to hike safely, thus helping to maintain the physical and psychological well-being. The non-slip rubber sole, which is developed for urban environments, can be opened with an easy twisting motion, thus revealing the metal spike used for hiking. The product’s shaft laminated from white ash veneer suggests grace while having enough strength and flexibility to withstand the stresses of use. Its design helps the walking stick to be an accepted and natural element of everyday life regardless of situations.
2018
