Intelligent wheelchair helps you avoid hazards

Late last month, we regaled you with a story about Toyota's advanced collision detection technology that uses sensory data to trigger an automatic slowdown in cars. Clearly, one of the research teams at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology is paying attention to what their countrymen in Toyota are doing -- for they've just come up with a similar system in wheelchairs. Recently developed with the collaboration of the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, the new "intelligent wheelchair" has a set of cameras pointed in all directions mounted above the head of the rider to provide a complete 360-degree field of view. If the cameras detect potential hazards nearby, the wheelchair will slow down or come to a complete stop. Beyond that, the new 'chair also is decked out with WiFi, eventually being able to transmit the amalgam of video feeds to a cell phone, while also providing a means of remote control. In addition, the wheelchair will look for signs of unusual posture (we're not sure how this message is conveyed in a polite, Japanese way) and will also feature a way for the rider to direct movement of the chair simply by gesturing -- you know, so you can get your moment of glory by striking your best Washington crossing the Delaware River pose. Be sure and catch a bigger pic of the camera orb on the flip side...

[Via Slashgear]

[geekdreams @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:33AM]

How much for just the camera orb?

[Ti @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:35AM]

Shame they couldn't have developed the system to also stop 80 year old homicidal maniacs driving their motorised wheelchairs down the side of main roads in rural UK areas. Gah.

Not that I'm bitter or cynical or anything.

[Sean Fast @ Sep 22nd 2006 8:55AM]

What if the camera pointing to the sky detects a big falling rock?

If I was in a wheelchair and a big falling rock was heading towards my head and I didn't know it, I don't think I'd want my wheelchair to take over and "slow down and/or come to a complete stop"...I think I'd want it to speed up or somehow alert me (e.g. "Alert. Danger. Big falling rock.")

Just a thought. I guess it depends on how well they programmed their ai.

-Sean Fast ([e-mail])

[darren @ Sep 22nd 2006 9:39AM]

Ok...so your shopping, with all them people walking so close to the wheelchair what will happen? Will they all be detected as a hazard? If so then the wheelchair will not move....

Just a thought

[Kenny R. Brown @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:23PM]

I'm a wheelchair user myself, and I wouldn't want a chair that could take over control from me or be controlled by wi-fi. I would however like a chair that can respond to my gestures. That would be great if I ever got stuck in a position where I couldn't reach my controller.

[Kenny R. Brown @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:27PM]

Last time that happened, I whacked my head on a parked car :(

[Molnek @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:20PM]

We aren't seeing the real problem here people. If they teach the wheelchair what is dangerous when it revolts it will know how to kill us all, and with wifi it could just broadcast its' death movies to all of the internet, then we will know the end is near.

[Anton Wilson @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:44PM]

"Intelligent wheelchair helps you avoid hazards"

Isn't a bit late for that?