The iBot Wheelchair...Bring back the power of the chair!

The iBot
Dean Kamen is an absolute genius. He had an idea to create a wheelchair that would allow quadriplegics access to the world! Now I realize that this might sound a little over the top but in reality it is a very true statement. So many times people in wheelchairs are unable to venture out because their wheelchairs are incapable of scaling steps, curbs, and bumps. The iBot wheelchair gave people the independence they once had by allowing them to climb stairs, blaze the streets, hop curbs, and explore the world. "The iBot Mobility System rotates two sets of wheels around one another, giving the user the ability to ascend higher in the seat and essentially walk over stairs and curbs. It’s a prescription-only product, reserved for those who are severely disabled" -Dean Kamen. If you click the picture to the right, you will be taken to the iBot home site for even more information. Though this device was a work of genius, it is no longer available because of the steep asking price of $28,000. I am writing this blog in hopes that I will inspire the powers at be to create a more affordable version of this masterful machine. I have a family friend who is a retired military vet and struggles everyday to get around to the places he wants to go. This wheelchair is the answer to people's problems when it comes to mobility and if we were able to get the asking price down, this incredible machine and all the possibilities that follow would be accessible to people who deserve the right to explore.


The video above can show the possibilities a wheelchair like this can have. A wheelchair that some still do have access too, but others who are unable. I write this blog to the world in hopes that we can bring back this groundbreaking technology to better society and the people who live in it.