Tilmann Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Not even that far off topic: Here's a project for a self balancing wheelchair: Looks really cool. The inventors are seeking funding on indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ogo-grab-life-by-the-wheels--2#/ (sorry, I haven't done any research on it, so I can't say, how realistic the plans are). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMo Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 This should have a back up system in case of sudden motor failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilmann Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 20 minutes ago, SlowMo said: This should have a back up system in case of sudden motor failure. I'm not sure, whether the flimsy auxiliary wheels in the back of the prototype will be sufficient to prevent the chair from capsizing. In the interest of keeping those wheelchairs as affordable as possible, I'd vote for a mechanical limiter to the leaning angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMo Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Yes, a limiter should support the fall.Like maybe higher wheel supports. The Rhino design has some supports protruding in front. Edit: This would serve only as a stand and will not support a fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilmann Posted May 29, 2016 Author Share Posted May 29, 2016 Update - just saw this promo for a Ninebot Elite add-on to turn it into a wheelchair: According to the folks from SpeedyFeet UK, it's readily available and approved as a medical device all across Europe. The solution clearly leaves room for improvement, but congratulation for a good start. One every day challenge has notably been left out with the video: curb stones. I'd assume, going up curb stones higher than about 2 inches/5cm requires some athletic bravery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Here's a design from 2007 (?) that can climb stairs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Looks like Toyota is helping to reboot the iBot: https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/23/ibot-wheelchair/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Wow, that is cool the way it can raise up like that from four wheels to two, and also climb stairs. It looks like 4 wheel drive, but standing on two wheels looks a little too high, fall over backwards and a helmet would be needed. It has great hill climbing ability, I wonder how much that would cost? Just to be able to go from four wheels to stand up and balance on two is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 The iBot was invented by the same team who invented the Segway. It was customary for the team, headed by dean Kamen (DEKA) to sell off their ideas to other companies. The iBot was bought by some medical company, but I never saw much of it. I believe they were even more expensive than a Segway. Deans company kept the Segway and developed it in house to production. They felt they really had a winner. Unfortunately, as we all know it wasn't that profitable,. High price, and lack of legitimisation on public street across the globe killed the market. i saw an auction once where the inventory of a bankrupt company was on offer, ( I Believe it was before 2007) it was loads of these iBot transmissions, but possibly just the R and D test mules and prototypes. edit, I just watched the video, so I guess you already know most of this, now. Ho hum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 5 hours ago, Smoother said: The iBot was invented by the same team who invented the Segway. It was customary for the team, headed by dean Kamen (DEKA) to sell off their ideas to their companies. That's interesting, I wonder if that is Kamen's house, it looks like something a successful inventor would live in, with the giant machine in the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 5 hours ago, steve454 said: That's interesting, I wonder if that is Kamen's house, it looks like something a successful inventor would live in, with the giant machine in the floor. Your question got me thinking' so I googled him and sure enough, in his 32,000 sq ft home, he has a giant steam engine. So I guess it's no stretch of the imagination to conclude, that the video was shot in his home. and @Rehab1 you'll like this. He has two helicopters in his garage (just like you). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 1 hour ago, Smoother said: and @Rehab1 you'll like this. He has two helicopters in his garage (just like you). Emphasis...Had 2 helicopters in my barn, past tense!! Dean actually acquired Enstrom in 1994 and owned it for a few years. He was the impetus behind adding an upgraded turbine version to the production models. A Chinese company now owns the company! This is the Bell47 I use to fly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Well it's probably a safe bet that one of his is a Enstrom, with upgraded turbine. That Bell is beautiful. I'm I wrong in saying that is, or is similar to what they flew during the Korean War ( and yes, I know the war is not officially over ?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilmann Posted November 24, 2016 Author Share Posted November 24, 2016 1 hour ago, Smoother said: That Bell is beautiful. I'm I wrong in saying that is, or is similar to what they flew during the Korean War ( and yes, I know the war is not officially over ?) That's the one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 2 hours ago, Smoother said: Well it's probably a safe bet that one of his is a Enstrom, with upgraded turbine. That Bell is beautiful. I'm I wrong in saying that is, or is similar to what they flew during the Korean War ( and yes, I know the war is not officially over ?) 1 hour ago, Tilmann said: That's the one! Yes an old but very dependable chopper! Millions of tested flight hours! G model Bell 47s had two gas tanks sitting right behind the pilot and passenger while my D1 version had only one long tank. Many people died with the dual tanks during hard landings. The gas tanks would break loose from their mounts and rupture, spilling gas onto the bubble windshield. After the bubble catches fire it melts and encapsulates the poor pilot and passenger in molten plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 I got a ride in one at a carnival once when I was about 10 years old, with my older brother along. The pilot pointed at the altimeter and said look, we're 1000 feet up. That's about the time I freaked out, don't remember landing I either passed out or blocked it from memory I think it cost 20 bucks each, we begged our mother for the money, she probably was hoping to reduce the size of the family I've always loved helicopters, when I was a kid dreamed of flying one, but with my fear of heights had to give up that dream. There are some good videos of a German woman flying a really nice gyrocopter, I think she goes by gyrogirl on Youtube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 LOL..and you have not rode in a helicopter since! I did have to return to the hanger once because the little kid was just as scared and I was only hovering! Bell 47s are called 'coffee- cake' machines because of their superb rotor inertia! They say you can enjoy coffee and cake during an emergency autorotation and still have time to land safely. I never attempted that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted November 26, 2016 Share Posted November 26, 2016 Just gotta remember to bring the coffee and cake on every flight. "One lump or two?" So the rotors were heavy and that was a good thing for autorotation, so why didn't other models use heavy rotors too? I know load capacity is total lift minus weight of craft, but I'd trade 30lb of cargo for a safe autorotation in a second. From what I've seen and read ( and I'm no retired spurt) autorotation is a great theory but when the fit hits the Shan in a chopper, getting into autorotation is seldom effectively achieved (exhibit 1. Your mangled blades in other post) but I could be wrong, it's happened before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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