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Singapore wants a self-driving wheelchair by 2017
Singapore is pushing for businesses to develop an autonomous wheelchair that'll convey people around without instruction. The announcement came from Mark Lim, the official in charge of the country's digital services and commercial development division. According to GovInsider, the project is going to run until March 2017 and will harness computer vision, robotics and machine learning to ferry patients around hospitals. The report quotes Lim saying that "we have limited health care workers," and that "nurses are more precious in doing their work [...] than pushing them around in the wheelchair."
Xbox avatars to get a wheelchair option
Accessibility doesn't just apply to the real world -- Microsoft's Phil Spencer has revealed that Microsoft will soon launch wheelchair avatars for Xbox Live. Following a user tweet suggesting that "wheelchairs might be relatively simple" to do, and another suggesting a petition, Xbox head Phil Spencer jumped in. "No petition needed, we hear you. This is something that we've already looked at, [and it's] not far off." Soon after that, Xbox Director of Program Management Mike Ybarra tweeted a "sneak peek" of two possible avatars.
Toyota is bringing back Dean Kamen's stair-climbing wheelchair
Remember Dean Kamen's iBot wheelchair? Its uniquely adjustable wheel orientation gave patients the freedom to climb stairs and effectively stand upright, but its high price ($25,000) knocked it off the market in 2009. Well, it's poised for a comeback: Toyota is partnering with Dean Kamen's DEKA to develop the next generation of iBot. Neither company is committing to a release date, but they've shown a familiar-looking prototype (below) that gives a hint of what to expect.
Uber brings wheelchair-accessible rides to London
In its bid to provide more services for disabled passengers, Uber finally brought UberASSIST to the capital at the end of last year. The service provides passengers with a "top rated" Uber driver who has passed an equality course. Today, it's expanding its platform with the launch of UberWAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle), a new option in the Uber app that was developed with help from Scope, Whizz-Kidz and Transport for All that goes live at 4pm today.
3D-printed wheelchair promises more comfortable rides
Wheelchairs are rarely as comfortable as you'd like. You either have to settle for a generic design or wait ages for a custom model that might still be a little awkward. However, London design firm Layer might have a better way: it's unveiling Go, a prototype wheelchair that could be easier to live with. The design has manufacturers scanning your body so that they can 3D-print seats and footrests that match your exact dimensions. It'd be more comfortable, of course, but it'd also account for your weight and create an ideal center of gravity that reduces the chances of tipping over or sliding.
Researchers train monkeys to mind-control a wheelchair
A team of scientists at Duke University have developed a wheelchair that is controlled exclusively by the thoughts of its user -- in this case, one of two lab monkeys -- and have published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. The prototype system relies on an implanted Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), rather than the scalp-mounted EEG that similar devices use. The BMI, though more invasive, does allow for a higher degree of command with less lag. "We wanted to have something that is closer to the way we move for a human who is completely paralyzed," study leader Dr. Miguel Nicolelis told Business Insider, "because you can control each movement continuously."
Uber improves its service for disabled passengers in London
After recently seeing off a challenge from the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) at London's High Court, Uber is wasting no time in its attempt to broaden its appeal across the capital. The company today announced the launch of uberASSIST, a new service that will offer additional assistance to disabled users. It works like this: when a rider requests a car using the ASSISTUK code, a "top rated" Uber driver, who has passed an equality course developed by Transport for All and Inclusion London, will be told that their passenger may require additional assistance and be invited to contact them ahead of their pick-up.
Uber's new services bring ridesharing to wheelchair users
If you rely on a wheelchair, you've largely been left on the sidelines of the ridesharing phenomenon. While plans have been in the works for some time, there hasn't really been a concrete accessibility strategy. Uber is improving that state of affairs, though, by launching new programs to accommodate disabled passengers. UberAssist, which is launching in Houston today, lets you hail an UberX driver who's trained in accessibility and can accommodate folding wheelchairs. A follow-up coming in a few weeks, UberAccess, lets you order a vehicle with a wheelchair-friendly ramp. There's no mention of expansion to other cities so far.
'Cyberathlon' will see disabled athletes compete in powered exoskeleton races
Massive sporting events like the Olympics are becoming increasingly tech-charged, but the games themselves remain unchanged for the most part. A new event called Cybathlon, however, wishes to fully integrate technology into its events, for what's billed as "The Championship for Robot-Assisted Parathletes." Due to be held in Switzerland in 2016, races will feature "pilots" outfitted with powered limb prosthetics, exoskeletons and wheelchairs that can be either commercial products or research prototypes. There will also be a bike race for competitors with muscle stimulation devices, and a fully computerized event pitting brain-controlled avatars against each other on a virtual track. While there'll be medals and glory for some, it's hoped Cybathlon will raise awareness of assistive tech and encourage development in the area. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to moisten an engineer's brow.
Georgia Tech's Tongue Drive wheelchair proves quicker than traditional breath controls
Georgia Tech researchers believed that tongue-controlled devices could help the disabled, and now they have solid proof. A new study shows that the school's wearable Tongue Drive System lets the paralyzed control wheelchairs three times faster than they would using an ordinary breath-based approach. The speediness is due to TDS' intuitive design, Georgia Tech says -- wearers use a magnetic piercing in their tongue as a joystick, which is both faster and more logical than puffing into a straw. It's subtler, too, as wearers don't block their faces with as much equipment. Trials have so far been limited to hospitals and labs, but the findings pave the way for real-world tests. Eventually, Georgia Tech hopes for widespread use that improves tetraplegics' mobility -- and gives them more control over their lives.
NCKU's i-Transport robot wheelchair helps riders reach full height
Those who have to use a wheelchair are often bound to the elevation of the seat if they want to reach something, which isn't fair when some parts of our world are still built for standing height. Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University is redressing that imbalance with the i-Transport. Its robotic vehicle can raise the driver to an upright level and shift them into a better position to grab objects that wouldn't otherwise be at arm's length. The added independence doesn't stop with the assistance, either, as the i-Transport carries its own blood pressure and breathing monitors to keep checkups to a minimum. NCKU hasn't said how likely it is that we'll see the robot enter mass production, but we hope it forges ahead -- the potential freedom would be worth the effort.
Robotic wheelchair concept adds leg-like movement, tackles stairs with ease (video)
Why choose between legs and wheels when you can have both? Well, that's the theory behind a robotic wheelchair concept from the Chiba Institute of Technology, which uses leg-like motion to conquer obstacles a run-of-the-mill wheelchair can't. The key is the five axes its base rotates on, allowing individual wheels to be lifted off the ground and moved in a walking style. It can tackle steps and various other obstacles whilst remaining stable, and can even turn 360 degrees around its center with the help of some onboard stabilizers. A gang of sensors on the chair detect incoming obstructions and deal with them automatically, but changes in wheel torque can act as substitute triggers, should the sensors fail. Judging from the video below, it's pretty advanced for a concept, but its creator wants a bunch of people to try it out so he can "fine-tune the user experience." It may not be quite as cool as Stompy or the mighty Kuratas, but it's definitely more practical for a trip to the shops.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: GPS shoes, shape-shifting bicycle and a wheelchair helicopter
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Apple dominated the news cycle this week with the debut of the iPhone 5, as the internet was buzzing with details about the lighter, thinner and faster new iPhone. But not everyone was thrilled with the news. A journalist in China spent 10 days undercover working at a Foxconn factory, detailing the grueling conditions workers undergo to produce the new gadget. Apple wasn't the only tech company in the news this week, though; Google got some time in the spotlight this week too, as the company's new augmented-reality glasses were trotted down the runway at New York Fashion Week. Continuing the trend of high-tech fashion, British designer Dominic Wilcox unveiled a GPS shoe that guides you home from anywhere in the world. This week, a team of Finnish researchers did what we would have thought was impossible, building an electricity-free computer that's powered by water droplets. Israeli designer Nitsan Debbi cooked up a batch of working electronic products made of bread. A Boise-based tech company used 3D printing technology to produce a new working beak for an injured bald eagle. Artist Luzinterruptus fitted 10,000 books that had been discarded by public libraries with LED lights and covered the streets of Melbourne with them, and in an exciting development the much-anticipated Low Line underground park in NYC debuted a full-scale model of their incredible fiber-optic solar-concentrating technology in New York City's lower east side. And in a surprising development, a researcher in Switzerland discovered a special strain of fungus that can make an ordinary violin sing like a Stradivarius.
Ben Heck creates hands-free wheelchair attachment for expectant father
Ben Heck may have cut his teeth on hacked gaming consoles, but these days, the modder-turned-show-host has turned a good deal of his focus to projects aimed at improving accessibility and mobility for the disabled. The latest episode of the Ben Heck Show offers up the perfect example of this noble pursuit, built when an expectant father came to him requesting a wheelchair that could be controlled while caring for his newborn. Heck designed a motor assembly add-on for Josh Benhart's chair with a foot-controlled joystick that lives under a 3D printed dome. Given a short amount of lead, Heck, sadly, wasn't able to complete the project in time, though you can check out his progress in the video embedded after the break.
Permoveh personal vehicle prototype can travel sideways, diagonally (video)
We've seen all sorts of great ideas to assist with personal mobility, and we think this prototype is up there with the rest of them. The Permoveh (from Personal Mobile Vehicle) was developed by Komori Masaharu, an associate professor from Kyoto University. Using a clever wheel-in-wheel system, the buggy can travel diagonally and laterally, with no need for turning space. The idea allows wheelchair users access to places that otherwise might have been too difficult with existing vehicles. Sadly we don't know whether we'll see this in production any time soon, but if you head on over the break, you'll see its creator showing off its moves.
Magnetic retainer lets you operate machinery with your tongue, gives linguistics new meaning
Many people with debilitating conditions rely on sip and puff technology to get around, which is relatively lo-fi by some standards. Now, a special retainer with magnetic sensors could bring mobility into the smartphone age. Developed at Georgia Tech, the Tongue Drive System uses a magnetic piercing to track lingual gestures. The sensors then transmit data to an iOS app that translates it to on-screen or a joystick movement. Earlier versions used a headset, but the prototype revealed at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, is hoped to be more comfortable and discreet. The system is currently being trialled by 11 participants with high-level spinal-cord injuries, with larger trials planned.
Ekso Bionics' exoskeleton used to let paraplegics walk (video)
It's not just nuclear-powered super soldiers who will use exoskeletons -- it can also be used to help those with physical disabilities. The Kessler Foundation grabbed one of Ekso Bionics' Ekso units and gave six people with severe spinal injuries, including a tetraplegic, the chance to walk. It's part of a trial study to examine the effects of walking for wheelchair-users, to see if it's better for their overall health or if it could contribute to their rehabilitation. A wider study will begin early next year with the hope of expanding use of the gear to domestic situations in the future. After the break we've got video of the people walking for the first time since their injuries and it's hard not to find yourself feeling a little emotional at the sight of it.
Robotic wheelchair uses 3D imaging to 'see' for visually impaired drivers
You may not be able to control it with your mind, but this robotic wheelchair from Sweden's Luleå University of Technology can still offer something that only a few others can -- "sight." The chair uses a laser sensor to generate a 3D map of its surroundings, which is then transferred to an on-board haptic robot, allowing the bot to pick up on and navigate its way around any obstacles. A visually impaired student already took the contraption out for a spin and said he felt "safe" while traveling through crowded corridors, comparing the experience to "using a white cane." Luleå's engineers, however, still have some fine tuning to do. The laser, for instance, can only recognize objects at a specific height, while ignoring everything above or below its field of vision. Researchers are also busy developing a new 3D camera for the chair and are hoping to have it ready for commercial use within the next five years. There's a full PR waiting for you after the break.
TankChair deemed too heavy to use on UK streets, disabled man becomes marketing boon (video)
While we figure that giant, tread-wielding wheelchairs have no trouble selling themselves, a disabled man named Jim Starr is helping them along their merry way -- a story about his TankChair being rejected for street use by UK authorities is giving the company plenty of free advertising. That's not to say that we don't feel for the disabled father of two, and hope he gets to use his snow-crushing, beach-mashing wheelchair in peace -- it's just not particularly surprising that a non-standard vehicle would be illegal to use on public roadways, and as you'll see in the video after the break (at roughly 5:30) the law doesn't seem to be restraining him any.
Military terrain-sensing tech to enable smarter electronic wheelchairs
Work being done by researchers at the Florida A&M University / Florida State University College of Engineering aims to make life a little easier for those folks who rely on electric wheelchairs by using automatic terrain-sensing tech originally developed for military robotic vehicles. Their prototype electric wheelchair can detect hazardous terrain and change driving strategies appropriately is so promising that the US Army has provided funding. If all goes well, we could be seeing these new-age chairs within five years -- CES 2016 can't come soon enough.
