Wheelchair Finds and Maps Paths

Sven Rönnbäck of Luleå University of Technology in Sweden has developed a wheelchair that can be manually operated or driven remotely. It’s new feature is the ability to find safe paths and to map them for future use. The chair, called the MICA­-Mobile Internet Connected Assistant, can be steered using head-mounted tool, and can take direction, but use its smarts (sensors) to find a safe way via open spaces. Says the inventor:

MICA is connected to the Internet and can be remote controlled or driven manually, but can also navigate on its own. The new navigation method is used to find possible routes for the wheelchair, past various obstacles, for instance. A distance-metering sensor is used to discover the surfaces that are available to the wheelchair, and the technology can also be used to ensure that the wheelchair is being used in a safe manner.

- Innovations Report (Germany)