The iBOT 4000 Mobility System is unlike any wheelchair that we have ever seen before. It is the newest invention from the creator of the Segway, Dean Kamen. Doctors have called this chair “potentially revolutionary” and the FDA called it a “breakthrough.” This new wheel chair, so to speak, is so complex that it will require a doctor’s prescription and training before one can be purchased by a patient.
What makes this wheelchair so revolutionary? It is the amazing way it functions, not only as a wheel chair, but as a stair climber, a 4×4, and it even allows its users to be eye to eye with other standing people.
The iBOT has five different mobility modes. The first of which is standard function, in which the iBOT functions as a normal wheelchair, allowing its users to navigate normal interior conditions, traverse slight inclines, and go over such surfaces as carpet, sidewalks, tile and so on.
Four wheel mode is the second function the iBOT is capable of. This is the equivalent to a four wheel drive mode for the chair. It allows its users to travel over many different surfaces that ordinary or power chairs would not be able to. The over sized tires and stability control allow the iBOT user to travel over grass, gravel, sand, and even up curbs up to five inches in height.
The next function is one of the most impressive features of the iBOT, stair function. In stair mode the iBOT is able to climb and descend stair steps up to eight inches high. This means not just a couple of steps, but a flight of stairs is no problem for the iBOT user, something that completely changes mobility for the handicapped. In stair function the iBOTs wheels actually rotate over the top of one another. As one set of wheels come off the ground the computer controlled gyroscopes on board maintain balance until the wheels set down on the step above or below its position. A trained independent clinician will determine if the patient can use the Stair Function independently or with assistance.
Unassisted stair climbing in the iBOT Mobility System requires the presence of at least one railing on the set of stairs or steps. To climb, the user backs the iBOT Mobility System up to the bottom step. While holding onto the railing with both hands, a slight shift in your center of gravity will activate the iBOT Mobility System to automatically climb one step. The triple redundant gyroscope system stabilizes the iBOT Mobility System on each step as it climbs or descends the steps. The pace of stair climbing is controlled by the user.
The most amazing part of this chair is its next ability, the balance function. In this mode one set of wheels rolls up the other set and the chair becomes a two wheeled Segway like unit. In this mode the iBOT chair allows its user to be eye level with other standing people. Using the chairs inboard gyroscopic computers, it allows the user to balance indefinitely, even while on the go. Users are able to move around their homes, grab objects from upper shelves, and even “walk” down the sidewalk. In this mode the battery life is the longest in the chair also, allowing its users to travel nearly 16 miles without a charge. This function allows a whole new level of mobility, which was never available for previous wheel chair dependent people.
So how does this revolutionary piece of equipment work? There are multiple gyroscopes and computers built into the chair, which detect user’s movement and balance accordingly. Each iBOT chair is set up, when purchased, for the individual’s specific weight, size, and center of gravity. In addition to this each user must complete a driver’s test in the chair before purchasing one will be allowed. There is also a triple redundancy safety system, so if any one or two systems fail, the chair will still be operational.
The iBOTs specs are quite impressive also. With a turning radius of 38.5″ in 4 wheel mode and 29.5″ in 2 wheel mode it offers one of the smallest turning radius’s of any powered chair. The four 12″ drive wheels are what allow this chair the ability to tackle so many different types of terrain with ease. Two 67 volt batteries allow up to 15 miles of range on an 8 hour charge. The chairs weight is nearly 230lbs, which is quite heavy, although it does not hinder its mobility in the least. The iBOT has no problems being exposed to the elements either. It is capable of prolonged usage in the rain, sleet and snow.
So many mobility handicapped people will benefit from this technology, including paraplegics, spinal cord injury victims, multiple sclerosis patients, motor neuron disease, including ALS and Lou Gehrig patients, the elderly, with use of this chair instead of the standard scooter in order to have more mobility, and a nearly infinite list of the physically handicapped.
There are however limitations to the people who will qualify to use this chair. You and the items you carry weigh less that 75 lbs or more than 250 lbs. The items you carry weigh more than the maximum limit of 20 lbs. You do not have sufficient hand function to dial a push-button telephone or operate a hand-operated joystick. You are not able to bend your knees such that your feet fit on standard footrests (for people with one or more amputations, this exclusion does not apply). You are not able to bend your hips enough to sit in a standard wheelchair that does not recline. You have lost consciousness or had a seizure in the past 90 days (some exceptions, ask your health care professional for details). You need a tilt or recline seating system for pressure relief or activities of daily living. You have a requirement for respiratory equipment to be mounted on your mobility device. You have severe osteoporosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, or metastatic bone cancer (unless a physician’s clearance is obtained). Impact experienced when climbing stairs or curbs or transitioning out of Balance Function may cause fractures to occur. You have not successfully completed the driver training program and test.
The last limitation on the use of this product is the price. At nearly $27,000 it is almost cheaper to buy a car outfitted with handicap accessible drive controls than this chair. However insurance does cover this chair under certain circumstances. Also, this is a small price to pay for some who have lost their mobility.
This chair is the next step in the evolution of mobility devices. Its amazing functions far exceed anything that has been produced for the handicapped to date, and open new doors of freedom for its users.
