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Fancy wheelchair is controlled by pointing
Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has announced a new smart wheelchair that features a 360-degree camera system that is aware of its surroundings. The electric wheelchair can avoid collisions with objects and other people and has the ability to tell if the user needs medical assistance. It can detect changes in posture, so if someone is slumped over it can tell that something is wrong and alert the hospital. Furthermore, the chair can be controlled by gesture, allowing the occupant to tell it where to go by merely pointing. The chair promises to be a big step in increasing the mobility of those confined to wheelchairs. If you combined the technology in this chair with the rugged off roading abilities of the TankChair you might just have the ultimate wheelchair. Come on people, let's make that happen.
AIST, via Pink Tentacle
By engineer24 at 6:05 AM ON 09/04/07
Quite interesting, Japanese people never stops being innovative. Having such a wheelchair can make you feel very comfortable and for a moment to forget your condition. But I also wonder if it's safe enough because I see it has complicated features and a simple gesture can be misinterpreted. Anyway, I suppose they have already figured this out. I have noticed that in late year people whit such handicap had special attention from science and technique. We can see now brand new gadgets on the market, handicap vans and many other helpful features.
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engineer24:
Quite interesting, Japanese people never stops being innovative. Having such a wheelchair can make you feel very co...More »