Walkers are being developed that can steer away from obstacles and be retrieved by remote control, to prevent falls while trying to reach the walker. And Oregon Health & Science University is developing a cane that can detect gait, pressure and other warning signs, and sound an alarm when a person is in danger of falling. When used with sensors, it also could be programmed to beep when the user gets up out of a favorite chair, for instance, but forgets where he put his cane, or to alert caregivers when the user is in danger of falling.