FIIL - At Home, Safe, Confident

What it does

Fiil is a walker for the elderly, integrated through its shape, colours and materials into the domestic environment.FIIL helps the user to feel comfortable next to their walker, supporting them during walking, in moments of tiredness and during daily actions.

Your inspiration

This project was created in response to the scarcity of well-resolved and well-integrated aids for the elderly at home. Because of this scarcity, the cosy and intimate home built over the years is invaded by cold medical products, still linked to the hospital context. These aids make the user both visually and during use, insecure of himself and feed his disability condition. The aim of the project is to get as close as possible to the human side of the user, responding to his or her needs, not only functional, but above all cognitive, which affect the process of accepting one's condition and the way of living the significant phase of ageing.

How it works

Fiil is not a simple medical aid, but encapsulates a direct message to the world of the third age: living every step with dignity is important for a happy life. The concept stems from a problem that emerges from observing the everyday life of elderly people who need a walking aid. Indoor walking aids that accompany users are often characterised by a formal appearance that is rigid, cold and linked to the hospital world, even though they are intended for an indoor, family context. This aspect greatly influences the user's mood, leading him or her to not want to accept to use the aid or to think that they can no longer return to "normality"

Design process

The goal of making the elderly feel comfortable with the walker in the home is achieved through a new formal appearance, which is a strong departure from current walkers, which are characterized by a cold and rigid appearance. FIIL, in fact, is characterized by organic shapes and color choices that are perfectly suited to the home environment. The materials used are sheet steel and beech wood. In addition to enhancing the formal appearance, the walker is designed to facilitate walking and the various daily actions the user performs in the home. The walker is available in different sizes and with inclined handles to prevent the user from wrist problems. In addition, to facilitate daily actions, the walker has an integrated seat. The seat during walking is in an upright position; thanks to a spring hinge, the user can lock the seat from the upright position and position it horizontally. This gives the user the ability to sit whenever he or she feels the need. The user, thanks to the possibility of accessorizing the walker with containers or trays, can carry various objects independently and safely, without asking others for help.

How it is different

In the "FIIL" walker, physiatric, ergonomic research and a study of the real needs of the elderly and materials research at the sensory level intersect. Current walkers on the market have a rigid and cold formal appearance and are mainly characterized by a metal frame and visible mechanisms. The current aesthetics are strongly linked to a hospital setting, and the elderly are forced to bring an object into their home that does not make them feel comfortable. In the FIIL walker there is a special attention to both the ergonomic and physiatric part but also a study of materials and the needs of elderly people. In fact, the new walker integrates perfectly into the home environment and accompanies the user in the main daily actions without making him feel uncomfortable.

Future plans

When I showed my design to all those elderly people I had previously talked to to understand their problems with their current walkers, they were all thrilled with the end result. They asked me to make them one so they would no longer have to be ashamed of their walker. They told me that they would no longer avoid using the walker by using other supports in the house because they would be proud to show off their new walker. In the future, I hope to be able to meet their demands and improve the product more and more.

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