Saw it on Techlive just about 45 minutes ago. Now, handicap people will be less handicap. Could this be more useful (right now, anyway) then the Segway?
Anyhow, I believe this calls for the ceremonial “flooding of Dean’s inbox to show how much we worship him” routine.
I think it’s great that it’s finally out and they plan on having people in them in just a few months. I just wonder about this prescription and training assesment stuff. I know there are safety concerns, but will they end up denying capable and qualified people from benefiting from this new tech?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with this wonderful web-comic, it can be found at http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com… Warning: although this one is clean, some of the other strips contain some lanquage not suitable for children :rolleyes:
This is huge. I work with the elderly. For those who live in retirement homes or on assisted living this is great to help them stay independent with safe aids.
Note: I realize this is also a great advancement for those who are younger, but this is how it effects my life and the people in it.
I was at a “Howard Dean House Party” last night. He was coming to give a speech so the place was packed. There was one women in a wheel chair who could not get up a small series of log type steps. She could have really really really used that Ibot. She would have also been able to stand up and talk to everyone. But instead she sat there alone.
The Ibot could have made all the difference in the world!
When I was little; ahem, I mean; younger (no comments from the peanut gallery [Chris]), I got to know the constricted life of being trapped (and I really mean trapped) in a wheelchair (thankfully) on a temporary basis.
The only ramp at the elementary school was on the opposite side of the city block sized complex from my classroom and the lunch room, which had only a four foot set of stairs between them. Getting to and from lunch and out to recess was frustrating at best. There were so many places I could not go. Try being raised in California and denied access to the beach.
While I am grateful for some of the fun things like, taking my baby brother for a spin on my lap, finding the limit of how fast I could go before the wheels started to shudder, and getting really buff arms, I sure would have liked to have been able to go up stairs, out on the sand, and through narrower doors (which the Ibot allows for). Even when you are a kid, being physically lowered by the seat of a wheelchair can be demeaning.
I do still think though, that a racing model chair that is lower to the ground might be better in a game of handball. I wonder how well the Ibot would do at that.
I remember the short period of time I was confined to a wheelchair. Having to run to the one elevator down the other end of the building 3-4 times a day to get to classes what a pain. This invention will change the world and we’re all thankful that Dean came up with it.
*Originally posted by Amber H. *
**I do still think though, that a racing model chair that is lower to the ground might be better in a game of handball. I wonder how well the Ibot would do at that. **
Oh come on, you would be towering over the rest of the players in the Ibot… you would win every time
*Originally posted by WakeZero *
**Oh come on, you would be towering over the rest of the players in the Ibot… you would win every time **
That’s true, but what about the ability to scoop up the ball from off of the ground or hit low ones in general?
It would be interesting to see an Ibot pitted against a standard racing model in a game (The players should be given ample, or at least equal time to train though to make it a true test).
