Support for the inclusion and innovation of intelligent assistive technology is what the Toyota Moblility Unilimited Challenge (MUC) would like to offer. The initiative they have taken is to increase the mobility and independence of people with paralysis of the lower limbs. The MUC's partner in this venture is the Nesta's Challange Prize Center. They started this challenge in November last year and it will last three years. The total project value is $ 4 million! Engineers from around the world have presented their ideas to facilitate and empower people with disabilities. The finalists were 5 teams (from Great Britain, USA, Italy and Japan), each received 500 000$ grant to expand and improve their ideas.
Below we present a list of finalists with a brief description of their projects:
1. Moby: Italdesign (Italy) - an integrated network of electrical devices on wheels, giving users of traditional wheelchairs the convenience, as well as the benefits of having a vehicle with a power chair, operation through the application.
2. Phoenix ai ultralight (UK) - ultra-light, self-supporting, intelligent wheelchair that eliminates vibrations that are painful for users.
3. Qolo: Qolo team, University of Tsukuba (Japan) - mobile exoskeleton on wheels, allowing users to sit or stand up comfortably.
4. Quix: IHMC & MYOLYN (United States) - a highly mobile, powered external skeleton that provides fast, stable and agile vertical mobility.
5. The Evowalk: Evolution Devices (US) - a smart wearable leg sleeve that helps people with partial lower limb paralysis regain their mobility. The EvoWalk AI system uses sensors to predict the user's walking motion and stimulates the right muscles at the right time to help them walk better.
Innovative equipment for people with disabilities
2019-03-06 | Source: disabled-world.com