Grandmother invents robotic bird to help older people stay active

A grandmother aged 93 has created a robotic bird to encourage older people to stay active and help them to remember to use their Zimmer frame. Now the gadget will be going on sale globally in the autumn.

People that suffer from mobility problems often need to use aids such as stairlifts and Zimmer frames to be able to get around their home safely. When Rita Melone, 93, started using a Zimmer frame she found herself regularly forgetting it.

Speaking in an article on iNews, she said: “I was in a nursing home and several times forgot that I needed it to walk, so I was lost without it. I thought it might be nice to have something to remind me.”

Tweetings from @pepcomevents! We're excited to announce the newest members of our #JoyForAllPets family, the Walker Squawkers. These interactive sidekicks encourage movement & create a more playful experience with one’s walker. Swing by our booth & meet them for yourself. pic.twitter.com/favXuRVudP

— Joy For All Companion Pets (@JoyForAllPets) April 28, 2021

She approached a robotic pet cat and dog company with her idea about creating a small robotic bird that is designed to be attached to a Zimmer frame to keep its owner company. This is where the Walker Squawker, a bluebird or scarlet Cardinal fabric-covered bird, was created.

The robot sings songs based on its actual native calls, moves its head and beak and it even detects touch, motion, a person’s voice and their environment and will start singing once the Zimmer frame starts moving. The more trips the older person makes, the bird unlocks new songs to sing to accompany their journey and to encourage older people to stay active.

The Walker Squawker robotic bird is set to go on sale across the world in the autumn via the Joy For All website for £46.76. This new creation is just another in a long line of companion robots as there have been dogs, cats and eldercare robots that have been released in recent years.

This news article is from Companion Stairlifts. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only.