The OmniWheel Walker System was designed with one overriding goal: to dramatically reduce the risk of falls for walker users. After extensive testing, the results exceeded our expectations. Our data demonstrates a 98.7% reduction in fall-risk incidents compared to standard walker wheels, along with a 12.4% improvement in turning speed and the introduction of true 360-degree omnidirectional movement for standard walkers.
Key Test Results
Reduction in fall-risk incidents
Faster turning speed
Omnidirectional movement
The Problem We Set Out to Solve
Standard walker wheels are designed for one direction: forward. Whether a walker uses fixed legs, front-wheel-only designs, or four-wheel rollators, the fundamental limitation is the same. The wheels roll efficiently in a straight line but resist lateral and diagonal movement. When a user needs to turn, they must fight the walker's mechanics.
This creates predictable danger points. Research shows that 47% of walker-related falls happen during turning or directional changes. The OmniWheel was engineered to eliminate this specific failure mode by replacing standard wheels with omnidirectional wheel assemblies that move freely in any direction.
The Bell and Cup Mechanism
At the heart of the OmniWheel system is the patent-pending Bell and Cup design. Unlike traditional omnidirectional wheels used in robotics (which feature small rollers mounted at angles around the wheel circumference), the Bell and Cup mechanism uses a nested housing system that allows the wheel to spin on two independent axes simultaneously.
The “Bell” is the outer wheel housing, which rotates like a conventional wheel for forward and backward motion. The “Cup” is the inner cradle mechanism, which allows the entire assembly to rotate perpendicular to the primary axis, enabling lateral movement. Together, these two axes of rotation create seamless omnidirectional motion without the vibration, noise, or reduced ground contact typical of roller-based omniwheels.
This means a user can push their walker forward, sideways, diagonally, or through any curved path without lifting, dragging, or repositioning the device. The walker follows the user's natural movement rather than constraining it.
Test Methodology
Our testing protocol was designed to simulate real-world conditions that walker users encounter daily. The evaluation compared OmniWheel-equipped walkers against identical walkers fitted with standard front-wheeled casters across multiple controlled scenarios.
Test Scenarios
- 90-degree corridor turns: Simulating hallway corners in homes, hospitals, and care facilities.
- 180-degree reversals: Simulating the need to turn around in narrow spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens.
- Obstacle navigation: Maneuvering around furniture and objects in a simulated living room.
- Multi-surface transitions: Moving between carpet, tile, hardwood, and linoleum surfaces.
- Continuous curved paths: Following an S-curve and circular route to measure smooth directional changes.
Fall-risk incidents were defined as any event where the walker caught, stuttered, required lifting during a turn, or caused the user to lose their center of gravity (measured via force plate and inertial sensors). Each scenario was repeated across multiple trials.
Detailed Results
The data showed consistent and significant improvements across every test scenario:
| Metric | Standard Wheels | OmniWheel | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall-risk incidents per 100 turns | 15.2 | 0.2 | 98.7% |
| Average 90-degree turn time | 4.8 sec | 4.2 sec | 12.4% faster |
| Walker lifts required per turn | 2.3 avg | 0 | 100% eliminated |
| Directional range of motion | Forward/backward only | 360° | Omnidirectional |
What These Results Mean
The 98.7% reduction in fall-risk incidents represents a fundamental shift in walker safety. The near-total elimination of fall-risk events during turning means that the most dangerous aspect of walker use, the directional change, has been effectively resolved.
The 12.4% improvement in turning speed may seem modest in isolation, but in practice it is significant. Faster turns mean less time spent in vulnerable transitional positions. Combined with the elimination of walker lifts (which require the user to momentarily bear their full weight without support), the OmniWheel system keeps users supported and stable throughout every movement.
Perhaps most importantly, the introduction of true 360-degree movement changes how users interact with their walker. Instead of planning routes to minimize turns, users can move naturally through their environment. This freedom of movement is not just a safety improvement; it restores a measure of independence and confidence that standard walkers cannot provide.
Next Steps
We are continuing to refine the OmniWheel system based on testing data and preparing for broader clinical trials. Our goal is to validate these results across diverse user populations, including individuals with varying levels of mobility impairment, different body weights, and different home environments. We are also working with physical therapists and geriatric specialists to integrate the OmniWheel into fall prevention protocols.
The data is clear: omnidirectional movement is not a luxury feature. It is a safety necessity. For the millions of walker users at risk of falls every day, the OmniWheel represents a meaningful step toward safer, more confident mobility.