Η Toyota και ο Dean Kamen, ο άνθρωπος που εφηύρε το Segway, ανέπτυξαν από κοινού την επόμενη γενιά του iBot, ένα ρομποτικό “επαναστατικό” μηχανοκίνητο αναπηρικό καροτσάκι που διαθέτει δύο σετ τροχών. Αυτοί, μπορούν να περιστραφούν και να επιτρέψουν στον χρήστη ακόμη να ανέβει και να κατέβει σκάλες.
Οι προηγούμενες γενιάς του iBot δεν είχαν την εμπορική πορεία που ήθελε η Toyota, λόγω του υψηλού κόστους τους, μιας και η καρέκλα κόστιζε 25.000 δολάρια. Κάπως έτσι εξηγείται γιατί πουλήθηκαν μόλις ορισμένες εκατοντάδες, με την εταιρία να μην ανακοινώνει για την ώρα το κόστος της νέας γενιάς.
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Toyota and Dean Kamen Enter an Agreement to Facilitate Innovations that Foster Mobility Solutions for the Disabled Community
May 21, 2016
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 21, 2016) – Toyota Motor North America is joining forces with DEKA Research and Development, the company founded by legendary inventor Dean Kamen, to support mobility solutions for the disabled community. This agreement will help DEKA to proceed with plans to complete the development and launch the next generation iBOT motorized wheelchair.
The iBOT is a revolutionary motorized wheelchair with two sets of powered wheels that can be rotated to allow the user to “walk” up and down stairs. The wheelchair allows users to rise from a sitting level to approximately six feet in height and travel in this “standing” configuration, and is capable of traveling through a wide variety of terrain types.
“Our company is very focused on mobility solutions for all people,” said Osamu “Simon” Nagata, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Toyota Motor North America, who announced the agreement at the Paralyzed Veterans of America’s 70th Annual Convention. “We realize that it is important to help older adults and people with special needs live well and continue to contribute their talents and experience to the world.”
“Toyota and DEKA share the same vision of making mobility available to people of every kind of ability,” said DEKA founder Dean Kamen. “We are excited about this new relationship and excited about what it means for making that dream a reality.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Toyota will license balancing technologies held by DEKA and its affiliate for medical rehabilitative therapy and potentially other purposes. The companies continue to engage in ongoing discussions about how Toyota can further support DEKA and its mobility assistance technology.
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