Developed by a group of engineers at the Chiba Institute of Technology, under the supervision of Shuro Nakajima, the robotic wheelchair is a radical mobility aid that uses wheels as legs, thanks to the steering system at the rear, to get over obstacles with ease. The robotic device makes use of four-wheel drive and five axes to climbs over steps without any assistance. Capable of assessing the surroundings, the wheelchair can be directed with a joystick to move smoothly on uneven terrain.
Featuring a number of sensors that work in combination to assess the surrounding terrain, the wheelchair keeps the seat steady on uneven floor. In case, the sensors stop working and fail to detect the obstacle, the robot varies the wheel torque to detect the road surface and move accordingly. Capable of lining its wheels up and extending stabilizers to both the directions, the robotic wheelchair can turn a circle for easy movement in narrow passages.
Via: Diginfo
