The classic walking cane has remained pretty much unchanged for millenia. Really just a walking stick with an ergonomic handle, it’s hard to come up with novel improvements to the cane. Fujitsu engineers, nevertheless, decided to integrate a bunch of technology into a cane to see what they could come up with.
The intriguing result is a device that uses GPS to guide the user who now doesn’t have to use a smartphone with the other hand. It also integrates a small heart rate meter right into the handle and, because there’s wireless connectivity, it can call loved ones automatically if the rate is too high. Also, the handle monitors the ambient temperature and humidity and counts walking steps. Here’s a quick demo video from Engadget:
More from Engadget: Fujitsu prototype GPS cane hands-on