By David Ponce
Being in a wheelchair, especially if it’s because you’re paralyzed from the waist down, is really not a lot of fun. Not only is your mobility compromised, but things we take for granted are taken from you: reaching for items in higher racks in shopping aisles, or washing your hands in some restrooms are just two examples of things you simply can’t do when paralyzed. But a new chair currently in development in Turkey could change all that. The Tek Robotic Mobilisation Device features a spring assisted lever arm that can raise you from a sitting to an upright position with a simple tug of the arms. Movement and direction are then controlled much like regular electric chairs, via a joystick. It can even make getting into it easier: instead of having to hop from your bed to your chair, you can summon it with a remote control and just tie yourself in right from where you’re sitting since a detachable seat stays with you when you’re off it.
It has already undergone clinical trials and is awaiting approval for sale to the public. We don’t know the price, nor whether it’ll even be available outside of Turkey.
If you want to see a video of it in action, hit the link below.
[ Reuters Article ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]