BASTO a modular cane for a transforming age
The word change is probably the most akin to being human. Particularly in modern society, change is increasingly evident and common. One of the most important evolutions in our society is that concerning its age. Indeed, for decades now, we have been facing an increasingly significant rise in the average age. While this affects all of us, it does not seem to be a pattern of change important enough to be taken into account as much as it deserves. In doing so, we make our surroundings an unwelcoming place for the majority of the community.
BASTO is accordingly a cane designed around its user, attempting to primarily cater to the shifting needs of an ageing person and obviate the transformations that society dares to ignore. What distinguishes this cane is its ability to adapt to the much-feared change, thanks
to its practical modularity and ability to mutate itself according to the task at hand. Its forms and functions appeal first and foremost to practicality, as well as expressing an appreciable aesthetic and ideal detachment from the canonical walking canes stuck on a concept
of society and necessity far from our own.
This is my response to one of the many possible ways of helping an elderly person with motor difficulties. It consists of several components that classify it as a cane but want to confer on it characteristics and motivations that are different from the ordinary.
The cane consists of an aluminium main module, designed for industrial production. This section is the heart of the stick, being not only the largest but also the structurally most important part, besides the fact that it is indeed the part that gives an identity to the entire stick due to its shape and peculiar light.
To this module, different types of handles can be attached at the very top. The design provided here features three shapes, with a simple and linear aesthetic, which can be changed if necessary with handles produced by specialised manufacturers for maximum comfort, giving the handle an ideal level of ergonomics for the individual user.
Furthermore, a rubber foot is attached to the main module, which simply and securely wraps around the end of the cane. Several additional terminals can be added to the foot, through a simple interlocking mechanism, each designed for a different use.
Finally, a base has been created. This base has the straightforward task, apart from being a resting place for the stick when not in use, of recharging the light in the main module.
Find below the technical drawings for the realisation of BASTO.
(Please click on the images to expand them)
Documentation
The file here concerns the project documentation. As this was a thesis project, the research has an important relevance for the choices made in my second part of work (design and realisation). Moreover, the functioning of the final product and the choices made are also explained in more detail, making the project understandable to the reader.