We can not disagree with Merlexi Craft people (manufacturer of plastic wheelchairs in the USA) in comment here when they say that most concept wheelchairs never make it to market even if they receive National Institute of Health funding. Major obstacle on the road to new products is extensive testing and govt regulations regarding to Medicare/caid. While smaller outfits and innovators have always had trouble finding funding; it now looks that bureaucratic/paperwork obstacles are even harder to break, not to mention that you need experienced people/lawyers just to navigate thru all the regulations and updates of updates on regulations…

Therefore public expects new products from big players, same companies that are on the bleeding development edge in various sectors (robotics, automobilism, autonomous home assistance devices) like Toyota, Honda. But even here – where are the Toyota i-Real? The Toyota i-Swing? The Honda Personal Mobility Device U3-X and Honda’s Robotic Leg or CLEG? Where is the powered ExoSkeleton? Where is the mind controlled electric wheelchairs controller? Where are stem cell powered engines/hybrid batteries? Where and when?

So for the near term we are not optimistic about the development of the assistive technology market and products. Way from lab and prototype to market is too long, too steep and too expensive!

NOTE: few words about Merlexi Craft – they are manufacturers of plastic manual wheelchairs, that are cheap (sub $1000) and light. They are made from lightweight plastic, have folding contoured seats, come in various colors and offer quick-release wheels/footrests… Special versions are available for hospitals – and such wheelchair is appropriate for magnetic imaging, is safe, durable and shellock approved… If would be nice to see if company can fit an electric motor on top of the plastic frame and create economically feasible electric wheelchairs for mass market… See introductory video below:

It is one of the rarely available standing up electric wheelchairs. It allows user to actually rise up to standing position, so user is on the same height as other people around – on the eye height. This is very important, and as we wrote before, beneficial for user’s psyche.

Technical parameters of this electric wheelchair are pretty common. Its length and height is 1,15 x 1,05 meters, overall width is 0,63, and seat is 0,57m above the floor.

Powertrain of the electric wheelchair consists of two 12V 38Ah batteries, that give 2x 200W of power, which suffices for 20 km maximum reach, and a maximum speed of 7 km/h.

On the down side, maximum capacity of the chair is only 100kg; and seats dimensions are only 43cm x 43cm, which makes it small for bigger users. Wheelchair is also not the lightest, as it weights 65 kg.

Highlights of the wheelchair are imported quality controller, and environmentally friendly spraying plastics steel frame. Chair has adjustable and detachable PU armrest and detachable strengthening hold. Both wheels are from expanding rubber.

Price is still unknown, but as all Chinese merchandise should be negotiable. It remains to be seen whether this electric wheelchairs will come to western markets.

But new concept designed by s Ju Hyun Lee, gives hope to change all that. Their proposal for solution is named NEWS (New Electric Wheelchairs) and is still in concept phase.

The main idea and technological breakthrough is that this is not selfstanding electric powered wheelchair, but rather an motorized wheelchair addon for existing manual wheelchairs. So it actually does not want to replace your existing electric wheelchair; rather it is attached to the standard wheelchair. NEWS gives instant electric motorized power to wheelchair.

Also the design of the concept is clean, well-thought and robust. It bring the design of 21st century to assistive devices. If NEWS concept becomes a reality, it will definitely change the industry.

Price wise not much is know, but it should not be expensive – meaning that once mass productions starts, we should see it at very competitive price point, which will make electric wheelchairs available to broader masses of people in need… Meaning it should be perfect for end users and also hospitals,therapy centers and nursing homes…

iPhone can be fitted to any new or existing Dynamic Controls DX2, DX or Shark electric wheel chair.  A cradle is available to mount the iPhone or iPod touch onto the wheelchair, connecting it with control systems. This requires no reprogramming of the wheelchair, and can be done at home. While connected, iPhone is charged from the chair’s battery.

Upcoming versions of Dynamic Control’s software might even allow further control of the wheel chair thru iPhone interface – something similar as MIT showed with WiFi… First response from user base is positive, as the idea to be able to buy an off the shelf product that has so many features for powered wheelchair users is appealing.

Honda

U3-X is based on technology developed in Honda’s humanoid robot Asimo. Honda is well known for its R&D in robotics and assistive technology, and although its announcements are many (see the one about artificial robotic leg) most of this is still years away from production and sale. Looks like Honda is competing heavily against local rival Toyota, which is also aggressive on robotics and research – and both move in similar direction (toyota shows segway personal transporter with seat, toyota and mind controlled wheelchair, toyota i-swing personal mobility device)…

Anyhow, U3-X is on contrary with Toyota’s i-Swing a small device, which is also very portable. It can be carried around and put in trunk with ease. U3-X has a seat height a bit higher than an average person’s waist line, so passenger must “jump” on it to commence the ride. Passenger then puts his his feet to the foot rests (similar as found on motor bikes). The rest is already known from segway – passenger leans in the direction he wants to go, and U3-X personal mobility device moves. It can drive in 8 directions (cross and diagonally as well) and reaches a top speed of 3,7 MHP (5,5 km/h) – meaning that it moves at pace of average persons walk.

Honda’s chairman Takanobu Ito commented that “And if my legs get a little weak, I would like to have one of these around the house. It makes it easy to move about.”. We guess he has a big house… Honda did not want to comment on price and availability of the U3-X nor any plans to produce similar versions of power wheel chair or electric wheel chair devices like toyota i-swing where user sits and leans back on it…

See link to video on the next page.

To see video of U3-X in action (looks like a lots of fun, and very simple), click here.

New electric wheelchair is called Rodem. User sits on the four-wheeled wheelchair similar like on scooter. User rests his knees and chest on the cushions, steering the wheelchair with a joystick wile holding on to motorbike-style handles. The result is that user feels less load on their body.  

The whole new approach to electric wheelchair design allows users to mount the device more easily, and dismount it quickly and with less strain and pain as well. Target audience are elderly, hospitalized for smaller injuries which prevent them from freely moving around without help. Rodem is lessening reliance on care-givers to lift these patients.

Rodem promises greater mobility. Its prototype was demonstrated in the medical university in Tokyo. The two main wheels of the Rodem are independently driven by a control valve type lead battery. Autonomy of the electric wheelchair is around four hours per charge. Maximum moving speed is 6km/h, but can be set to lower limits as well. The dimensions of the Rodem are equivalent to the size of a normal wheelchair, and it weights about 200 lbs (100kg). It also features small minimum turning diameter.

While western nation’s (and Japan’s) populations are growing fast, and these kind of nursing robots are intended for them, the inventors say they have no immediate plans to commercialize the new vehicle. Their primary goal is to meet and exceed the governmental safety standards, but they remain open to offers from private companies.

TMsuk Robotic’s president  Yoichi Takamoto said the Rodem may also be used by people who are not disabled to simply ride and enjoy. Takamoto added that Rodem was too simple to be called a robot at this point in time, but that it may evolve into one by adding new robot-like features like example, that it comes to your bedside when you call for it.

Future is in deed interesting for next generation of electric wheelchairs, as Toyota recently showed off a mind controlled electric wheelchair, while other researchers announced wifi controlled wheelchair…

User still needs to attach sensor grid on the head. The EEG sensor cap  measures electrical activity in the brain through five electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes. These are placed above the areas of the brain which handle motor movement. The sensors interpret the signals they pick up and translate them into motion.   System processes thought patterns without learning or training and translates them into movement of wheelchair. Electric wheelchair can accordingly move left, right or forward. Sensory system is processing data in real time, so delay between the thought and action of wheelchair is less than 125 ms. Competitive solutions require substantially more time – growing to seconds, which makes movement less natural and more difficult. Toyota’s solution (well, actually Toyota is only a sponsor of researchers from BSI-Toyota collaboration center) does not require the driver to learn special “signals”, but instead this mind-controlled electrical wheelchair will move forward when driver thinks of walking. According to Toyota the wheelchair is able to understand a record 95% of all commands coming from the drivers.

Toyota representatives described growing demand on similar accessibility products by Japan’s growing older population (in 40 years the percentage of seniors will account for more than 40% of Japanese population). Thinking is natural, and requires less learning so  brain-machine interface system will be more robust and simpler than voice-controlled system. System even “learns” by analyzing the behavior of the driver, which means that driver can improve the accuracy over time.

Japan has been always very strong in advanced robotics, and recent encourage by government fueled new research and development even further. It comes as no surprise, that other Japanese companies like Honda and Hitachi, are also working on brain-wave-machine technologies.

Though the brain-machine interface technology is still in developmental stages, Toyota researchers are hoping their electric wheelchair interface will be useful for rehabilitation and for support of people who use the vehicles, and also as a mean of assisting a rapidly aging population. Toyota’s system works excellent. Beside brain-wave commands, it also incorporates some basic motor controls. As you can see on video below an emergency stop can be commanded by puffing out a cheek.

Original story published here (in Japanese).

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