iWalkActive
A User-Approved, Technically Sound E-Rollator – And Why It Never Reached the Market
AGAPE created a methodology and toolkit to help older adults, caregivers and policymakers adopt digital services more effectively. By profiling users, coaching them through behavioural change and aligning technology with local policy and services, AGAPE focused on making innovation truly usable and sustainable in real-life settings.
iWalkActive set out to modernise mobility aids by combining a traditional rollator with an electric drive system and intelligent navigation features. The goal was to support older adults with limited mobility in maintaining independence, confidence, and freedom of movement. While the project delivered a technically successful and user-validated e-rollator prototype, the path to market was hindered by production costs and structural barriers in healthcare procurement. The project became a valuable case for learning where innovation meets system constraints – and where promising ideas risk stalling without the right commercial conditions.
The iWalkActive project aimed to modernise the traditional rollator by equipping it with an electric drive system, similar to an e-bike, to support older adults with limited mobility. The goal was to offer users greater independence, safety, and ease of use, especially when navigating slopes or longer distances. The target group consisted of seniors and individuals with mobility impairments who needed a walking aid that could adapt to their physical limitations without compromising on dignity or usability. The e-rollator prototype featured an intuitive user interface – users could push it like a normal rollator, with the motor responding automatically to their movement. In parallel, the project also explored indoor and outdoor navigation features, although this part proved to be less promising. iWalkActive was high lighted by AAL as a Success Story for its user-driven design, positive user feedback, and strong technical feasibility.
Sustained Outcomes
While the full iWalkActive solution – including the motorised e-rollator and navigation system – did not reach the market, some elements have endured. The Swedish company Trionic, one of the core partners, continues to produce and sell rollators based on the mechanical platform used in the project. The e-drive prototype received enthusiastic feedback from test users and demonstrated strong technical performance and intuitive usability. However, commercialisation was hindered by the high costs of industrialisation, particularly the tooling investment needed for serial production. As a result, the e- drive rollator was never mass-produced. Still, the project contributed to the ongoing evolution of assistive mobility devices, and its learnings remain relevant for future innovation in the field.
iWalkActive was recognised as a Success Story for its innovative approach to mobility support and its ability to deliver a highly functional, user-validated prototype. The project stood out for its intuitive user interface, which allowed older adults to operate the motorised rollator naturally – without complex controls. This recognition helped underline the relevance of the concept and may have inspired other actors in the assistive tech market. However, the commercial impact remained limited, as no full product emerged from the project. The success story thus lives on more as a technical and user-experience benchmark, rather than a market-driven transformation.
From a technical point of view, the project was a success. The e-rollator worked intuitively and was very well received by users during testing. We solved the core engineering chal-lenges – but the difficulty came in scaling production and finding a market willing to pay.”
Prof. Andreas Rumsch, project coordinator iWalkActive, Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture
Barriers and Challenges
The most significant barrier was the cost of industrialisation – bringing the e-rollator to market would have required several hundred thousand euros in tooling and manufacturing investments, which the small partner companies could not afford. In addition, the market was not ready to pay for such an advanced product: while the prototype was well-received, its estimated retail price (€ 3,500 – 4,000) was comparable to an expensive e-bike, whereas traditional rollators often cost less than € 200 and are expected to be reimbursed by insurance. There was also no clear reimbursement pathway for an electric rollator, limiting demand from care organisations. Similar attempts by other companies in the same period also failed, suggesting structural issues in market readiness and financing models. The technically ambitious navigation module further complicated the product and may have diluted focus from the core value proposition.
Partnerships and Networks
The iWalkActive project was built on strong collaboration between industrial and research partners, particularly Trionic (Sweden) and Trikon Solutions AG (now Antrimon Group AG), a Swiss supplier of drive components, who jointly developed the e-rollator prototype. The partnership was technically successful and remained functional throughout the project. However, sustaining the product after the project required continued joint investment, and the small size of both companies made this financially unfeasible. While Trionic continued developing and selling non-motorised rollators, the Swiss partner was ready to proceed – but could not do so independently. Other consortium members contributed to features like navigation but did not remain active in follow-up efforts. In short, the project had a technically aligned partnership but lacked a financially capable industrial partner to carry the product beyond the prototype stage.
Reflections: What Remains?
Looking back, project coordinator Andreas Rumsch expressed that the project would have benefited from a sharper focus on the mechanical and drive components, rather than trying to integrate complex indoor/outdoor navigation features. While both were interesting innovations, they addressed different use cases and could have been developed as separate products. The team also learned that positive user feedback and technical success do not guarantee market adoption – especially in the absence of reimbursement pathways and scalable manufacturing strategies. Future projects should consider market and pricing realities from the start and en sure that promising prototypes are supported by partners with the financial and organisational capacity to scale.
Project Info
iWalkActive demonstrated how assistive mobility solutions can be radically improved through smart technology and user-driven design. Its e-rollator prototype was technically sound, highly intuitive, and well-received by users. However, the project revealed critical gaps between technical feasibility, user acceptance, and market viability.
