Researchers show off laser-guided wheelchair that docks with vehicles

We first heard about this laser-guided wheelchair way back in 2006 but didn't really have much more than promises from the team behind it about exactly what they had in store. As New Scientist reports, however, it seems that the folks from Lehigh University and Freedom Sciences are still hard at work at it, and they're finally showing off some of their progress. The wheelchair is apparently still not entirely automated though, with it needing to be driven to the rear of the vehicle by remote control, after which the on-board LIDAR system kicks in and loads it onto the lift all by itself. Not surprisingly, the estimated price for the eventual commercial version has also gone up since we last heard from the team, with it now set to demand $30,000 (as opposed to $15,000 to $20,000) when it goes on sale later this year, assuming it gets the necessary FDA approval. Until then, you can head on over after the break to check it out in action.

[Edward J. Grass @ Apr 30th 2008 2:55PM]

Not sure why they say this is cheaper than existing mods. My Honda Odyssey with a lowered floor and ramp costs about $20,000 more than a similar non-modified Honda. And I can drive right up the ramp and into a locking dock (for my power wheelchair) from which I can then drive the car without transfering at all to a regular seat (which is difficult or impossible for many). Google for VMI Odyssey vans if you are curious to see how that works.

Not sure why this new system is so expensive. The lift and special seat are existing technology that I think you can get for around $10,000 to maybe $15,000 max. Why so much for the LIDAR technology? My guess is that the remote control apparatus on the chair itself is what is really expensive. An interface to the existing joystick would be pretty hard to do I bet.

Whatever the case, it is great to see people working on new technologies for the disabled. I don't know what I would do without my existing high tech chair, van, and lifts.

[buttabean @ Apr 30th 2008 6:06PM]

edward how would you rate the honda so far? I've been wanting to get one since my 2000 dodge caravan WITH 36K MILES is practically falling apart faster then myself haha

[Wwhat @ May 1st 2008 10:34AM]

Well for some reason many people now use wheelchairs while they can walk perfectly fine (I see it all the time), so perhaps this is so they can tell the electric chair to go sit in the car already while they walk over later.

[John @ Apr 30th 2008 3:16PM]

Well, if I were disabled and had to be confined to a wheelchair, I would definitely want it to have 'frickin' lasers!

[Randy @ Apr 30th 2008 3:17PM]

I am a quadriplegic and I have to say that this is impractical and likely way over-priced that other practical methods.
I have a 2007 Grand Caravan with a lowered floor and a motorized ramp.
Rule of thumb... Stay away from lifts.....the van is this video has one for the chair and one for the side door.

[gabe @ Apr 30th 2008 3:22PM]

randy would u mind sharing what happened?
also how are you typing?

[Tim @ Apr 30th 2008 3:49PM]

@ gabe
being quadriplegic is only impairment in four limbs, not necessarily complete lack of function. I'm a quad myself but I'm able to use a manual wheelchair and walk to a certain extent; quadriplegia (which technically should be called tetraplegia) is a pretty wide umbrella term.

[Karl Viklund @ Apr 30th 2008 4:17PM]

ROFL

[jocke @ Apr 30th 2008 5:59PM]

well the L clearly shows yr not one of us quads - been doin all helluvalot of ROF but rarely L - it's no picnic getting up ;)


and to my fellow quads: why do so many tend to prefer these roll-in kinds of vehicles? i'm c5 myself, but as long as i'm able to do any kind of movement myself i'm gonna keep using a normal seat n tossing the chair in the back...

[Brian @ Apr 30th 2008 4:35PM]

My dad uses one of those Jazzys..they roll. Heavy as a bitch tho.

[buttabean @ Apr 30th 2008 6:05PM]

Yeah thats really only would work for people that are elderly I would think. Personally being a tetraplegia (use of one arm). That just seems crazy to even think of using over a ramp type van.

[buttabean @ Apr 30th 2008 6:15PM]

Jocke your c5 and transfering yourself? what kind of vehicle are you using? small car? I'm c7 t-1 with a left brachial plexus injury so my left arm is just flaccid. Any transfer or driving myself is not happening. I know they have joysticks to drive but I have severe autonomic dyreflexia on top of everything so I'm not allowed to be alone :(. So ramp is the most convenient and easiest way to get around

[frankXchange @ Apr 30th 2008 10:16PM]

I'd prefer to see improvements to the wheelchair itself. They are ludicrously over-priced for the materials and technologies involved. My sister's wheelchair, while fast, has an awful control system. I'd like to see better control systems (it's all fly-by-wire, so why not a software intermediary that adapts to the user and provides better motor control at slow speeds), charge plates (like those being proposed for electric cars, and currently in use for cell phones and PDA's), and a better range of designs (all-wheel drive, better access to storage, lighter frames, easier to fold/smaller, etc). All of these things exist, but haven't made into wheelchair design generally. There have been some developments - the Segway wheelchair for one - but it'd great to see more, provided the price doesn't go up.

[Wwhat @ May 1st 2008 10:42AM]

I saw a thing on NGC I think it was, about the US navy shooting a ship with missiles and the interface to the screen was so clumsy and outdated that I was astounded, shows you that seems a common thing, in some areas engineers never think about UI it seems and/or don't look at existing evolution of UI's but go by what they learned on school 35 years ago.
Perhaps they should force electrical system engineers to do a course on UI design, and force them to do a refresher every 6 years or so.