A radical new
GPS-enabled wheelchair with fat tires and four-wheel drive may soon offer disabled individuals the ability to tool
around almost any terrain while still being protected by a virtual "tether" to a remote command center. The
Superfourin chair, as it's known, is basically a modified ATV with a hybrid engine, on-board computer, and embedded
sensors to monitor both vital signs and vehicle status, and was developed by Germany's
Fraunhofer Institute for Information and Data Processing IITB in
conjunction with Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH. Designed mostly for
deployment in fleets for group outings into Mother Nature's
thoughtlessly unpaved terrain, the Superfourin was also given high
marks for solo use from its multiple sclerosis-afflicted test driver, who was able to enjoy the Thüringer Forest alone with his family for the first time in
years.
[Via Gizmag]
