The Origins of the Assistep
Halvor Vold is the creative mind behind the Assistep, along with his team of innovators in Norway. As a team of engineering students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, they were tasked with creating a solution for seniors to safely negotiate their stairs and they wanted a different approach besides the electro-mechanical devices readily available.
They started their project in 2012 and launched the first modular Stairwalker in 2015.They begun installations in Norway and have since seen significant market development in northern Europe, Japan and Canada. Assistep was awarded the very distinguished SilverEco Ageing Well award in 2019.
In 2021, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists recognized the product as being a valuable tool in their practice of senior’s care and safety.
https://caot.ca/uploaded/web/website/web/img/advertising/AssiStep%20PRP%20report.pdf
Halvor is passionate about his company and the opportunity the Assistep brings to individuals who want to remain active and who may not want to reserve themselves to a lift device. The medical advantages of remaining active are significant and the Assistep is another means of keeping up that level of activity.
Although designed with the seniors’ residential market in mind, the Assistep has proven to be beneficial in care facilities as an accessibility device and a rehabilitation tool. As well as in rehab centres of various descriptions including spinal cord, orthopedic and others, young children with various motor disabilities are also finding the Assistep to be a fantastic addition to their own stair training and access in their own homes.
Please enjoy this conversation with Halvor and how the Assistep vision has come into being.