A new type of wheelchair has been developed by robotics experts in Japan, and it so advanced that it has been dubbed as something coming from sci-fi movies. The prototype of the wheelchair was unveiled by its creators last week. Dubbed the “Rodem,†the wheelchair does not look anything like its traditional counterpart. In fact, it looks more like a scooter than a wheelchair.
The Rodem has four wheels, and the user has to ride astride – much like riding a scooter. In order to steer the scooter, the user has to use a joystick, making the operation of the chair much easier for the user. More so, the design makes it easier for health care specialists to move their patients onto the chair. In fact, those who can move on their own will also find it easier to move onto and off of the wheel chair.
The inventors of the Rodem come from Tmsuk Co., a Japanese robotics company, and researchers from 10 universities and other research institutes. Makoto Hashizume, the head of Veda International Robot Research and Development Centre, says:
“I believe this is a whole new idea for a wheelchair. With this vehicle, users can move around more freely and more actively without much help from other people.”
Indeed, while the chair is primarily meant for health care purposes, the inventors say that it can also be used by people who simply want to ride. Veda says that they are not planning on manufacturing the chair commercially for now but that they will consider talking with private companies from various countries.
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Posted August 30th, 2009 by Maki | Comments (2)2 Responses to “Japanese Scientists Unveil Sci-Fi Wheelchair”
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Interesting article. However, I still think the IBOT wheelchair from inventor Dean Kamen would be more functional since it can rise up in a two-wheel mode as if someone were standing.
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