I designed WedgeWalk after a trip to visit my grandmother in Mumbai. After returning, I kept thinking about the way my grandmother struggled with using her clunky quad-point cane, in a way that my other grandmother in LA, who used the very same cane, did not. I quickly realized that the source of the difficulty was Mumbai’s unique environment and culture. Crumbling sidewalks, non uniform staircases, compact taxis, dense crowds, and aggressive weather were just a few of the differences in terrain. Furthermore, cultural norms meant my grandmother in Mumbai more frequently donned elaborate clothing, removed her shoes, and washed her feet. The quad cane, designed for the average western lifestyle, not only failed to provide safety in these use cases, but often created more dangerous situations for my grandmother. I set out to re-design the cane.

I conducted user research, defined primary design criteria, kept a journal to sketch a cane a day, and prototyped different designs. I showcased my final design at the TechShop booth at the Bay Area Maker Faire, and was interviewed by Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs/How it’s Made) along with the founders of Boosted Boards for CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do it”. I patented WedgeWalk and am currently weighing next steps for the project.

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