Dallas and the iBot 4000

Yesterday I made a quick trip up to Dallas to demo an electric wheelchair that is based on the same technology as the Segways. The thing was really a great machine. It could drive up and over curbs, stand up on two of the four wheels and balance and even go up a flight of stairs (with minor assistance). I forgot my camera so I only have cell phone pics. What was really impressive was the balance mode that would raise me to eye level with a walking person. The rep for Johnson & Johnson even pushed on me as hard as he could and the chair just pushed back as shown in one of the clips below. When he let go, it swung over like a pendulum until it found the center again. Really cool stuff. It has been in the works for over a decade and is just now hitting the mass market. The chair is quite expensive though so it remains a dream for now.