Electric Wheelchair Future Technology

What would be considered pure science fiction material not so long ago, is now becoming reality. The device called ReWalk helps people paralyzed below the waist to stand, walk and climb stairs.

One of first paraplegics to try the exoskeleton is former Israeli paratrooper Radi Kaiof whose life now changed dramatically, as he can once again climb stairs and face people face to face… A new powered exoskeleton suit passed internal tests and has already enabled several disabled to walk again. Suit is making strong converts among those who have worn it.

Powered Exoskeleton that enables the disabled to walk again is the brainchild of engineer Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli high-tech company. Ironically Amit himself was paralyzed in an accident in 1997.

The suit consists of motorized leg supports, packager of body sensors and a rechargable battery located in a backpack. Currently suite is only useful for disabled that have full function of their arms, as user needs to control the unit via remote control wristband, which contains various settings like: sit, stand, walk, or climb.

Read more >>>

Image via WikipediaTankchair LLC recently announced their 2008 model/remake of the original TankChair (from 2006)… The new and improved model, named Mk2 is electric wheelchair that was developed with mud, snow, streams, sand/gravel and other outdoor terrain in mind, allowing the user to get back to nature, or conquer home environment - including climbing up and down the stairs…

Similar than all-terrain electric wheelchair we previously wrote about 2008 model has lower center of gravity, more torque, stronger chassis, and improved incline and decline approach angles. It has rubberized tracks instead of standard wheels and looks more like a miniature tank than any of electric wheelchair cousins. It also has a full-height chair with abundant cushioning for added comfort to smoothen a bumpy ride. Electric wheelchair is using rubber tracks and high torque electric motors, and manufacturer guarantees that it will take you just about anywhere. Even the urban street and stairs, with a incline accent of up to 45-degrees!!

Read more >>>

Update to story on indian company manufacturing electric wheelchairs…. Watch nice video of live demonstration of Ostrich Mobility electric wheelchair - first electric wheelchair completely designed and produced in India. While device is expensive for 7 million of disabled Indians, it is one of the most affordable electric

Read more >>>

According to this page, Japan company is developing an electric wheelchair with integrated toilet functions. Development is at stage of creating a feasibility study, but the ultimate objective is to develop an "electric wheelchair with toilet functions," a piece of welfare support equipment ideal for handicapped. Whole concept is rarely found in existing welfare equipment today, although some of the models are available on the market… Majority of users rely on automation and accessories - elevators etc, to help them move from wheelchair to toilet and back.

Product is designed to help maintain the self-respect of elderly or disabled people, and since world turns around money, it is worth noting that elderly population is increasing, and that baby-boom generation is projected to enter "need for assisted living" phase in 10-20 years. The wheelchair will be designed for elderly or disabled persons who are unable to move from their wheelchairs to toilet seats by raising their bodies with their own arm strength, and who cannot be attended to by caregivers regularly.

Read more >>>

In start of October, a powered wheelchair that moves when user thinks on particular word, was demonstrated by American company Ambient. The electric wheelchair operates by catching the signals sent from user's brain to their larynx (voice box), even when there is no audiable sound. Wheelchair was developed to help people with spinal injuries, or neurological problems like cerebral palsy or motor neurone disease. This revolutionary brain interface allows user to operate computer and other equipment despite serious problems with muscle control. Similar to autonomous remote controlled electric wheelchair we already wrote about, this system allows user even more freedom, as all user has to do is think of the word. System consists of larynx (voice box), which user must be able to operate - and most likely can, even in the event of poor muscle coordination necessary to produce coherent speech.

This breakthrough voice boy system called larynx control system, or shortly "Audeo", was developed by researchers Michael Callahan and Thomas Coleman at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US, who together also founded Ambient. 

Read more >>>

Even if visitors of Tokyo Motor Show expected revolution in electric car design, Toyota's i-Real is a leap forward compared to today's electric wheelchairs. i-Real is answer on how to relax legs, but ride in personal transporter device that looks as sleek as a Segway?

Now the next generation in this exciting personal mobility series is here - as almost every year on Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota introduced a new high end electric wheelchair concept, the new i-Real three-wheeled chair. The i-REAL is a personal mobility vehicle that represents the next stage of Toyota's personal mobility vehicle development, following the PM, i-unit and i-swing.

Toyota's i-real might lead to the next generation mobility devices for the handicapped. Its great design and mobility makes is ideal companion for metro users. i-Real represents next-generation of personal transport, positioned as a tough competitor to Segway offering an adjustable wheelbase - at slow speeds and in crowds the space between the two front wheels and one rear is small, thereby increasing maneuverability and lifting the rider up to eye-level…

Toyota is already dominating the green vehicle scene thanks to its Prius hybrid electric car. But Toyota is looking for expansion to new territories, and personal mobility is hotter than ever.  

Opinions are still divided - is it wheelchair, or is a scooter? Well, if you will call Segway a scooter, you can call i-Real a wheelchair. But truth is that both are new type of personal mobility devices, urban personal transporters.

Toyota is targeting i-Real at a variety of seated users who need to move around. Transporter offers a upright seating position that reclines as speed increases. Maximum speed of device is

Read more >>>

When choosing, buying and using a product, never mind whether it is a electric wheelchair, mobility scooter, electric car or a glucose meter for diabetes… technology does play an important role, but what really makes or breaks user experience is the design.

Therefore we have to thank designers, that help push technology further every year - making it smaller, cooler, friendlier and more ergonomic… One of the biggest design contests for technology is the Autodesk's Inventor Student Design Competition organized by Technische Universiteit of Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

This year a team of Polish design students (Michal Piersa, Milosz Jamrozy, Igor Modelski,Bogusz Radziemski, Rafal Krzysiak and Kamil Ruszczyk) from Politechnika Warszawska University won a grand prize for their design of futuristic wheelchair!

Quick inspection of design reveals that wheelchair is manual, designed to be driven by muscular force. The main invention is inclusion of gyroscope mounted underneath the centrally positioned seat. This concept is already known from Segway and some other stair climbing electric wheelchair models (check out our review of iBot). This allows wheelchair to remain vertically stable while only using two wheels. Hidden on the rendered picture, but visible when inspecting model in 3D (you can download the Autodesk's DWF file here for free), is the battery required to power the gyroscope. What kind of battery is used, is unknown, as this is

Read more >>>

Otto Bock HealthCare, a global manufacturer of prosthetic components began developing a prosthetic knee system in 2006. Project started when company was awarded a three-year $1 million contract to develop a leg that will allow US Army service members to stay on active duty if they choose to, and Otto Bock seem like logical choice, as their C-LEG product was ahead of the competition in this field.

The current C-Leg allows users a choice between two operating modes: one for walking and another for bicycling (or any other preprogrammed activity). The "problem" is switching between modes, as the wearer has to swing the leg forward in a jerky fashion. The new C-LEG will support up to 10 programmable modes, switchable through a small remote control about the size of a car alarm remote. Reprogramming a mode with another special activity will still require a visit to a technician…

The new C-LEG project is currently in the prototype stage, and if there will be no bigger technical problems, the new prosthesis should be available to US army service members in 2009, which means that in 2010 or at most a year after, it will be also available on free market. The new, much improved system will cost the same, as current C-LEG offer - approximately $30.000. C-LEG is special because it is hydraulic prosthetic leg based on technology similar to Segway… C-LEG's CPU brain automatically adapts to changes

Read more >>>

Each day future of mobility looks less and less like the automobile – old concept of moving a few tons of steel to carry one or two people is far from optimal, and in the age of global warming, eco-friendly transportation is becoming hot topic. Analytics already voiced expectations that market for short-distance, one and two person transport vehicles will emerge very soon (by 2009), and we speculate that first design units to accommodate this new market, are being developed today under electric wheelchair tag…

Recently we saw plethora of electric wheelchairs with a fuel cell unit, and here we are reviewing five of them… The most coverage definitely got Suzuki's MIO concept, which was based on Suzuki's previous electric wheelchair "Senior Car" operable with a handlebar, but is now a motor driven wheelchair that runs on electricity produced by fuel cell unit. MIO is told to be user-friendly and also boasts a longer travel range compared to existing electric wheelchairs with a lead-acid battery. MIO's fuel cell unit employs a direct methanol that directly supplies methanol to the cell for hydrogen reaction along with a large-capacity Li-ion secondary battery. The hybrid wheelchair can run 40 km (25 miles) or more with one recharge of methanol (4 liters), and allows easier handling because there is no need to recharge from the mains power source as with electric wheelchairs, and at the same time offers user more information thru LCD display with information on remaining fuel, power generation state… Details on the fuel cell unit and the Li-ion secondary battery were detained, as Suzuki marked MIO as a prototype. This could mean that MIO still has many problems or that

Read more >>>

ALTERNATIVES

This is part 3 and conclusion of brain controlled assistive devices future… We have reviewed three products already on the market (or in last stages of development), and today we will check what else is out there, and what alternatives exist… At the end, we will wrap our closing thoughts on cost and whether and when pricing of these devices will fall on more acceptable levels…

OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator

The newest player in brain controller technology is PC memory maker OCZ, known especially in over clocking community. Their latest brainchild, the Actuator (based on Cyberlink's Brainfingers) claims to bring mind controlled functionality to mass market for a price below $300. Device is identical to Brainfingers, therefore we will not review it in depth. It will suffice to say, that it tracks movement of user’s eyes, monitors brain waves and picks up facial muscle movements uses recorded signals to link to input commands on the computer, allowing user to play Tetris or even a first person shooter, or trigger external commands, i.e. piloting electric wheelchair

Read more >>>