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The Ibot
The IBOT What’s that - some sort of robot? No, but close. The IBOT is, in fact, perhaps one of the coolest power chairs to have been invented. (In fact, the inventor claims it is not a power chair - you don’t use, he says, you wear it!) In addition to the standard function of a power chair i.e. to give independent mobility to those with severely impaired movement, the IBOT can mount stairs, cope with curbs, beaches and water and, perhaps coolest of all, lift its user up to eye level. (One user, within two weeks of purchasing an IBOT, was able to stop taking drugs to combat stress arising from social situations.) While other power chairs have some of these functions, only the IBOT has the amazing balance capability that means its users are actually more stable on two wheels than on two legs. When its inventor demonstrated the IBOT on television, the interviewer suddenly threw a 25 pound bag at him. Only a slow motion replay were able to show the rapid movement of machine’s wheels necessary to maintain balance. The inventor? Dean Kamen. Name rings a bell. Who’s that? He’s the inventor of the Segway, and transporter machine which also balances on two wheels. In fact, some of the principles of the Segway are behind the IBOT: in particular, the complex interplay of centrifuges and microprocessors which allow the IBOT to maintain balance while in two-wheel mode. Sounds great - I want to get one. There’s only one problem - the prohibitive cost. As of 2008 the IBOT costs over 26,000 dollars - a tiny fraction of the amount invested in it, but enough to put both insurance companies and private customers leary of it. Which is a shame, because it could make a lot of difference to a lot of people’s lives. |
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May, 2012
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