Eye to eye - even on wheelchair?
Wheelstand - although the name sounds a bit unsound - could be the next big thing for all disa
bled, who crave for seeing the world from stand-up position, allowing them to have an eye-to-eye conversation once again… The wheels underneath perform the same function as those of a wheelchair. The legs are held in place, so no awkward buckling takes place. The wheels can be held in place, so no unplanned rolling occurs. The entire effect is a liberating one for those confined to a life of sitting down.
Although still in concept phase for now, the two-wheeled cruiser was designed to give those who have lost some of their motor functions — paraplegics in particular — a new way to experience the world. Currently, those unable to walk unassisted or those with paralyzed lower limbs and no use of their legs, have to resort to less-than-ideal methods to get around, and even when carted in a traditional wheelchair, they're forced to view the world a dozen of inches lower than anyone else (unless they are using iBOT). As with personal scooter from Segway, this device enables a disabled person to stand rather than sit, resulting a drastical change of perception in "eye level", which is usually not the case for wheelchair users. This could really improve disabled people quality of life, andtheir social skills, self esteem…
We could see working prototype as soon as end of 2007, since if could be realized using similar technology as Segway. Engineering would need to be quite impressive, ditching the unfashionable style often associated with wheeled contraptions for the handicapped, and instead blending functionality with modern and clean lines.
