It is often the fear of many to grow old, and that fear has led kings and emperors of yore to search for the elusive elixir of immortality, but much to their chagrin (and later, death), they found out the hard way that there’s no such thing as doing away with that part of life although modern medical technology has allowed mankind to live longer than our ancestors (also, we run less risk of being eaten up by a dinosaur while roaming around the plains with a spear). This extended lifespan which we’re experiencing at the moment does come at a price though – the older we get, the higher the chance of being struck down by a debilitating medical condition, and among them include Parkinson’s disease which affects our motor skills and memory. There is some light at the end of the tunnel though with the GaitAid Virtual Walker, and we’ll talk about that in depth right after the jump.

Basically, the GaitAid Virtual Walker uses optical images of objects to help the observer navigate, stabilize and pace movement in space, which translates to improvement in real life motor skills. Both patients of Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis have found the GaitAid Virtual Walker to be a positive tool when it comes to helping them in their walking ability, alongside minimizing balance problems and having an improvement in the overall quality of life. The GaitAid Virtual Walker is the brainchild of Yoram Baram, a computer science professor and incumbent of the Roy Matas/Winnipeg Chair in Biomedical Engineering at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. He worked with several neurologists specializing in treating Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and other movement disorders, and the result of their labors is the GaitAid Virtual Walker.

As you know, the best product testimonies are those whom the users are happy with, and one GaitAid device user has stepped up to the plate saying, “This device gives me the feeling that I am taking control of my illness. I got my confidence back and can actually enjoy going out for a walk without the fear of falling down. But most importantly, my mental state of being is much more positive and I’m more independent.”

Press Release