Oh MIT, do the wonders that come from your halls ever cease? Yet another remarkable development is emerging from the fabled institution, and this time it's an autonomous wheelchair that can remember important places in a given building (read: the hospital ward, your house, the local arcade, etc.) and then take you there on command. In other words, the voice recognizing chair could understand phrases of direction, such as "head to the kitchen," and it would take on the burden of navigating the halls while letting the rider chill. The researchers are implementing a system that can learn and adapt to the individual user, and in the future, they'd like to add in a collision-avoidance system and mechanical arms to help patients lift and move objects. Say, can regular joes / janes buy these? We're totally feeling this over the Segway.

[Via medGadget]

Prepare to step aside Segway, you had your chance to revolutionize personal transportation. Introducing the Toyota Winglet. Still under development, Winglet's body has a 10.4 x 18-inch footprint and stands 1.5-, 2.2-, or 3.7-feet tall (depending upon the S, M, or L model chosen) and features an electric motor capable of a max 6km/h cruising speed for up to 10km a jaunt (only 5km for the S model). Like the Segway, the user controls the Winglet by shifting his weight to move the transporter forward and back or to make tight turns. Winglet will begin consumer testing at the Central Japan International Airport near Nagoya and Laguna Gamagori resort this Autumn with further testing in more crowded environments planned for 2009. It's planned to hit a production stride in 2010. Hey Toyota, here's a hint: you'd better start lobbying for sidewalk legalization ASAP if you're hoping for global success. All three pictured after the break in order of S, M, and Large.

Update: Video added to show just how nimble the handle-less S and M versions can be.

[Via Akihabara News]

We get that rising gas prices are putting folks in a world of hurt, but has it really gotten so bad that we're resorting to losing our dignity riding Segways? According to a recent writeup in The Wall Street Journal, "sales at Segway Inc. have risen to an all-time high," and CEO Jim Norrod fully expects sales this quarter to "jump 50% from a year earlier." Not surprisingly, many of its new customers are universities and public service divisions who are replacing traditional vehicles with the all-electric scooters, but we still get the impression that individuals are steering clear due to its remarkably high price and laughable design. At least, that's what we'll continue to tell ourselves.

Make no mistake -- we've been blasting the ridiculousness of the two-wheeled scooter for eons now, but in one fell swoop, Segway just worked itself back into hearts. Introduced at this year's RoboBusiness, the RMP "hyperdirectional" transporter looks to hold at least one Earthling (up to 400-pounds) and can seemingly scoot about in any direction. Unfortunately, that's about it for details -- no release date or any juicy stuff like that -- but if the term "fifty thousand dollars" scares you whatsoever, the video posted after the break is probably as close as you'll ever get, anyway.

Now's your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 Home Entertainment Device of the Year! Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Sunday, April 15th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: DirecTV HR20, Slim Devices Transporter, Slingbox PRO, Sonos ZP80, Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player, TiVo Series3, and Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD player.

What makes a $2,000 digital music player a $2,000 digital music player? When you're Slim Devices, that's a pretty tricky question to answer. After all, its relatively affordable Squeezebox line has garnered extensive praise and a nearly rabid following over the past couple years -- especially in its latest (and most attractive) incarnation. What's more, Slim has positioned the Squeezebox as an audiophile-friendly device from day one, touting its extensive tweakability, high quality digital-to-analog conversion, and compatibility with the surprisingly useful SqueezeNetwork. Don't get us wrong, we suspected there was room in Slim's portfolio for something above the Squeezebox. Something with a larger display, perhaps something that'd fit in an A/V stack. What we never saw coming, though, was a price hike of seventeen hundred dollars over its little sibling. So just what does two large (that's over six Squeezeboxes with the WiFi option, for the record) buy the discerning music connoisseur these days? Let's take a closer look.

Back in July, we regaled you with a post about the Slim Devices Transporter, that super high-end digital audio stereo receiver. You remember, the one that plays WAV, AIFF, MP3, WMA, and FLAC at up to 96KHz sample rates over Ethernet or WiFi, right? Well, we've just spotted the first review of this $2,000 DAC from TrustedReviews. So, what's on the plus side? TR says the jacks are top-notch, bringing everything from a pair of gold-plated phono sockets to a word clock input. Beyond that, the front dials (or knobs, if you prefer) are high-quality and come in a slick brushed aluminum. But, on the minus side, the casing felt a bit flimsy to the reviewer's touch, noting that a flexible panel can vibrate along with the music, which is not usually desirable to the discerning audiophile. What about the audio quality? TR says that when compared to a traditional CD or a Super Audio CD, the Transporter "lacked the punch, presence and sheer excitement on offer from the humble disc spinner," and was generally left unimpressed by its lackluster performance and high price.

Audiophiles, listen up. (Oh, how we do love saying that.) Slim Devices has got something you'll want to check out if you've been on the hunt for a Sonos alternative: meet the Transporter (and we ain't talking about Jason Statham). Slim's new wireless audio distribution system moves your music (in WAV, AIFF, MP3, WMA, and FLAC up to 96KHz sample rates) via 802.11g or Ethernet, and outputs in XLR, with optical, S/PDIF, and coax ins and outs. But thats not all, you've also got RS-232, infrared, even a clock input port to make sure using and controlling the audio chugging through its Super Regulator-driven 120dB SNR AKM-built AK4396 DAC is a pleasurable experience. They're not going to let you off easily though, this piece will set you back two grand when it debuts September 18th. Slim Devices will, however, throw you a bone for your hard earned thousands; pre-order the Transporter before it's released and they'll toss in a free Squeezebox to say thanks for skipping out on rent (yet again).