iBot helps teenage girl - ABC News

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by tiffany34990

this invention was sooo cool to see..Dean wanted people to be able to go up staircases but most importantly it seems it allows them to be eye level.. being lower than others I can understand it's awkward..

Actually, the first idea came from Dean seeing a person in a wheelchair struggle to get up and over a curb.

Dean's motto for all things he invents is that he invents things that he thinks should exist.

Therefore, a wheelchair that will allow not only the person to be at eye level with other people, but to climb steps and maneuver over rough terrain.

The iBot technology was the predecessor to the Segway as well.

One interesting fact about the link, was that the iBot's codename at one time was Fred because it danced around like Fred Astaire, and thus Ginger was the codename given to the Segway to represent Ginger Rogers, who was Fred Astaire's dance partner in a few movies.