CES 2017 has come to a close, but there were plenty of smart gadgets on display. One that flew under the radar is the Dring Smartcane. As the name implies, it’s a cane with a brain and a gadget we can fully get behind considering its usefulness.

Getting old is going to be a drag for most. Things don’t always work like they should, and as you get towards your golden years, the legs and balance can lead to other issues. Falls are common with the elderly as well, which is where the Dring Smartcane comes into play. It doesn’t come with a monocle, but it is quite intelligent.

On the outside, the Dring looks like a traditional walking stick, but with modern style as there are no ornate knobs embellishments. Despite that, you can expect quality as the actual cane comes from the Fayet company, the last remaining industrial manufacturer of French walking canes.

While having a fancy stick to fend off hooligans and keep you upright sounds like a win-win, the Dring is smarter than any cane you’ll find on the market. There is a gyroscope and accelerometer built into the stick which combined with the AI, can detect unusual changes to your movements with the cane. In other words, it may be able to tell if your condition is worsening, if you favor one side more than the other or tip over.

While the Dring Smartcane can understand your daily routine over time, it can also alert someone if there is an incident. It connects to a GSM network as a standalone device and can send out an SOS to contacts through text or a call if something goes wrong. The caregiver or family member can also alert the person in distress that they are on the way if they take a tumble. The company says it “may” have Geofencing as well with a built-in GPS.

You don’t have to be aged to have mobility issues. There are plenty of younger folks with bad backs, knees and various other ailments that require a cane or other forms of assistance. That means the Dring Smartcane has a large audience to cater to and may prove quite popular if the price is right. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much this one will cost just yet as the Dring Smartcane won’t arrive until later this year.

Dring Connected Cane