Seniors

Boo the Whippet was the first patient enrolled in a clinical trial of a life-extending drug for senior dogs. A milestone has been reached in the ongoing trial, with 10-year-old Miniature Dachshund Winston being the thousandth dog to enrol.

When most people think of electric mobility scooters, they likely picture rather unexciting-looking, decidedly "uncool" vehicles. The fully-enclosed all-wheel-drive Tectus, however, looks like the scooter Deckard might have used in Blade Runner 2049.

An 11-year-old Whippet called Boo is the first dog enrolled in a study to trial a drug designed to extend the healthy lifespan of senior dogs of almost all sizes. The researchers are looking for pawticipants across the US to enroll in the study.

Although many seniors end up requiring some sort of mobility assistance, not all of them are wild about the stigma that comes with using a walker. That's where the Laufrad comes in, as it's a sleek adult-sized carbon fiber balance bike.

Chances are that if you think of someone who uses a walker, you picture them sedately making their way down a smooth sidewalk. Well, Rob's Walkers are for those other walker-users, who like getting into the woods and going off-road.

While some powered exoskeletons give able-bodied users "superstrength," others are designed simply to let physically-challenged people move about normally. A new version of the latter is said to be much lighter and more user-responsive than others on the market.

​You might think that most new robots are designed to head off into factories or other workplaces, but the fact is that many of them are made to be used by robotics developers. That's the case with EVE r3, although its successor may find use in applications such as home care for the elderly.

​While it's important for seniors to stay active, their decreased sense of balance does increase their risk of being in a bicycle accident. The Netherlands' Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is attempting to address that situation, with a steering-assist-equipped e-bike.

​It's an unfortunate fact that many seniors end up becoming socially isolated and mentally unstimulated. Israel-based tech firm Intuition Robotics has set out to address that problem, with its artificially-intelligent ElliQ system. The technology was on display this week at CES 2019.

​It's an unfortunate fact of life that as people get older, their sense of balance diminishes. This means that seniors have a higher than average risk of falling when cycling. They may be less likely to do so, however, if the senior-specific Sofie e-bike reaches production.

Exoskeleton technology is already helping people with serious mobility issues walk again, but a new exoskeleton system isn't designed to get people back on their feet, but to keep them there – it's intended to prevent the elderly from taking a tumble.

Although mobility scooters may be a godsend to the elderly, they don't provide much in the way of exercise. The Liberty Trike is designed to change that. Riders can use it in plain ol' throttle mode just like on a regular scooter, but they can also pedal if they want.