Last year, the Beijing Evening News reported that in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, because the octogenarian mother-in-law did not go downstairs for three months, an associate professor at a university specially invented a wheelchair that can climb stairs. The wheelchair is integrated with artificial intelligence technology, as well as the voice call function, shouting it can come to the bedside by itself, and can also be controlled through the mobile phone APP, with its own GPS positioning function, you can check the movement trajectory of the elderly when you go to work, obtain the operation data of the wheelchair and so on.
In the news video, even though the wheelchair is still a test product, the old man is still very happy after sitting down. But this also reminds us that in the face of the increasingly rapid aging process, the existing domestic wheelchairs with single functions can no longer meet the rapid growth and diversified consumer demand. In fact, there are already many smart wheelchair products at home and abroad with high technology as the main selling point, today I will take you to see what kind of sparks will be made when technology meets wheelchairs.
Japan: Autonomous driving is like riding a horse
Do wheelchairs have to sit? Isn’t it easy to get bedsores when you sit too much? Can’t you use a ride? In the eyes of the Japanese robotics company Tmsuk, problems can lead to more inventions. They launched a new smart wheelchair Rodem, a wheelchair that can “ride” and walk.
Unlike traditional wheelchairs, Rodem does not have a backrest, but a backrest is set in front of the seat, and the user needs to spread his legs and keep his weight forward, riding on the wheelchair with a feeling of being carried on his back, and leaning on the backrest in front of him.
Thanks to this design, users can easily climb into the wheelchair directly from the back of the bed or sofa. It can also be very convenient to handle some daily affairs, such as washing, eating, taking things, etc., and because of the riding back design, the height is basically the same as the height of ordinary people, which is very convenient for daily communication.
In terms of handling, the wheelchair can be controlled through a mobile phone or a lever, and the angle and height of the seat can also be adjusted, with a maximum load capacity of 110 kg. The top speed is 6 kilometers per hour, which is faster than walking. The body is waterproof and can be used both indoors and outdoors. It can last more than 15 kilometers on an 8-hour charge.
The wheelchair was first launched in Japan and sold for about 57,000 yuan.
Switzerland: It’s an outdoor expert in climbing stairs
Five graduate students from ETH Zurich and Zurich Academy of Arts have designed and developed an electric wheelchair, Scewo, which allows the wheelchair to travel normally on flat ground, as well as terrain such as stairs.
The overall structure of the wheelchair is very compact and small. The intelligent control panel is located on the user’s right-hand side, which is convenient to operate. The joystick has a special mobile phone slot for easy navigation and contact with friends and family.
The designer deliberately designed the wheelchair to be small in size and large in wheels, so that it can easily pass through door frames of various sizes while crossing obstacles. At the same time, Scewo can also be raised vertically, allowing the user to look at the standing conversation partner, so that the two can maintain more comfortable eye contact during the conversation.
In addition, the biggest feature of the Scewo is that a sturdy rubber track is set under the seat, and for safety reasons, the stairs need to be climbed upside down. The rubber material cushions the impact of climbing the stairs, and Scewo constantly changes its center of gravity according to the angle of the wheelchair rising, so that the seat is always in a horizontal position, moving at a speed of one step per second. When the sensor detects the apex of the stairs, Scewo automatically lowers the stability wheel to prevent the wheelchair from flipping, and folds and collapses the stability wheel until the overall safety is on the ground. In different road conditions such as getting off the bus and crossing the snow, Scewo can completely replace the two-wheeled wheel with the track.
Japan: Folding transformation can also be controlled by mobile phone
Japan’s Whill has a number of electric wheelchairs, and the new electric wheelchairs designed and developed by it are all-round kings and have a good reputation in the industry. The latest model, the Model Ci, provides four-speed power and supports detachment and folding to make travel more convenient. The left armrest of the wheelchair allows users to control the speed gear and the right armrest to control the direction of travel, whether it is small steps, 90-degree sharp turns, 30-degree uphills, or high-friction stones, grass, and beach surfaces. This wheelchair also supports remote control of the mobile phone application, and you can open the application to let the mobile phone control the direction of the wheelchair at will like a remote control.
Because its specially designed front wheel is an “all-round wheel”, it can travel up to 10 miles indoors or outdoors, climb even 2-inch high obstacles, and easily navigate tight spaces, dismantling for transportation in just a few minutes.
Whill said the Model Ci wheelchair has sold nearly 10,000 units since it went public in January 2018, and it was recently featured on Time magazine’s “Top 50 Inventions of the Year 2018” list.
China: Easily crush the road
According to the statistics of the American Wheelchair Industry Association, the sales ratio of manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs in the international market is about 1:1. In developed countries, wheelchairs are covered by medical insurance, so there are more buyers of electric wheelchairs. In developing countries, consumers mostly opt for relatively inexpensive manual wheelchairs. However, with the increase in consumer income in China and the continuous penetration of the concept of consumption upgrading, the demand for electric wheelchairs in China has gradually become strong in recent years.
Beijing-based Delta Robotics has developed an electric wheelchair Hummingbird A1, which is mainly aimed at the elderly with reduced mobility, as well as business scenarios such as airports and shopping malls.
As an upgraded wheelchair-type transportation tool, Hummingbird A1 pays more attention to the user’s driving experience. With a turning radius of 76cm, it can turn flexibly and quickly, so even if the elderly go to the toilet by themselves, they can move freely in a small space. Super climbing ability, can challenge up to 10° steep slope, but also can easily crush the road, the old man drives shopping by himself, no longer worries about how to cross the road. You can walk 20 kilometers in 4 hours on a charge, and even the elderly with inconvenient legs and feet can meet the desire of “the world is so big, go and see everywhere”.
Edit | Retirement
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