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Regulars
Is This Tiny Tank The Comfiest Wheelchair Ever?
It might look like a one-seat sofa capable of traversing almost any terrain on the planet, but this compact electric vehicle is actually designed to be a highly manoeuvrable and comfortable alternative to a traditional wheelchair. You won’t ever see it cruising down footpaths, but one day they might be crawling all over hospitals.
Electric Bike Tech Makes Power-Assisted Wheelchairs More Affordable
Not surprisingly, those fancy electric wheelchairs that let people with limited mobility cruise about with the push of a joystick are incredibly expensive. So adapting technology that powers modern electric bikes, Yamaha’s JWX-2 electric assist gives that same mobility for less — and can be retrofitted to almost any manually driven wheelchair.
This Four-Legged Wheelchair Climbs Steps Like A Mountain Goat
Researchers at the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan have come up with a four-legged wheelchair design that lets the mobility device tackle steps and other obstacles that it simply couldn’t with just four wheels. And it keeps its passenger level and perfectly safe when it’s tip-toeing over uneven terrain.
When A Snowboard And A Motorbike Collide, Anyone Can Ride The Slopes
Putting a new spin (literally) on the adaptive snowboards that let those with physical disabilities still enjoy snowsports, the folks at Signal Snowboards worked with Crankbrothers to design what could be the world’s first snow-friendly wheelchair.
Wheelchair Morphs Into Bed, Claims Title Of Ultimate Work-From-Home Accessory
Transferring patients with limited mobility from a wheelchair to a bed could soon be an easier feat if Panasonic perfects this electric care bed it’s been developing. It transforms from a wheelchair to a hospital bed so that patients don’t ever have to actually be moved from one to the other. It’s also an amazing accessory for telecommuters, and finally puts mankind on the road to the future predicted in Pixar’s Wall-E.
Underwater Wheelchair Rides Should Be Real
Would it ever really make sense to build wheelchairs that can cruise around underwater? Maybe not. But when it’s an art project, watching a wheelchair power around in the sea is surreal and oddly mesmerising.
World’s First Electric Lego Wheelchair Can Support 90kg
It’s not going to get you anywhere in a hurry, but Simon Burfield’s joystick-controlled electric wheelchair is built from the ground up using just Lego. What’s even more impressive is that the chair can carry someone up to 90kg in weight, as long as there aren’t any obstacles for it to traverse.
How To Turn Any Wheelchair Into An Electric Scooter
Since electric wheelchairs don’t run forever, users will often still rely on a manual version for getting around the house. But depending on their physical condition, switching between devices can be difficult. So the IWA, or Independent Wheelchair Assist, adds a temporary electric drive to any chair.
Meet Roosevelt, The Bi-Pedal, Off-Roading Border Collie
As any Border Collie owner (*raises hand*) can tell you, to describe them as “high energy” is modest at best. Bred as herding dogs, they require near constant activity and attention, because if they aren’t “working”, they aren’t happy.
Tiny Skis For Wheelchairs Tackle Snow With Ease
The small and thin front wheels on a wheelchair or stroller might roll easy on hard surfaces, but on snow and ice they sink right in like a hot knife through butter. So a Swedish inventor has created a simple ski accessory that lets smaller wheels easily slide over frozen conditions.
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