5 ms·
are they a suitable alternative for wheelchairs? Because of stairs, etc.
by k__ 6y ago
are they a suitable alternative for wheelchairs?
Because of stairs, etc.
- lowdose 6y agoThis is an unexpected original application. Do you think people in a wheelchair would like to upgrade to a robot?
- k__ 6y agoDon't know. But maybe it would 1. allow them to stand 2. allow them to use stairs
- jon_richards 6y agoThat’s starting to sound like an exoskeleton
- ufmace 6y agoIf we're going in that direction, might as well get rid of those useless bio legs and replace them with robot legs
- k__ 6y agoI'd assume some people aren't fond of surgery.
- tgflynn 6y agoI think a bigger problem is that there isn't really a good safe way to directly interface a human limb to a mechanical one. Conventional prostheses distribute weight over tissues that didn't evolve to carry those loads and are therefore much less comfortable than a natural leg.
- ufmace 6y agoMmm yeah, I suppose you'd have to figure out a way to connect up to bones for structural support and to connect actuators to. But hey as long as we're dreaming big, why not?
- k__ 6y agoI'm not dreaming big. I just asked if we could strap people to these things to let them climb stairs, lol
- k__ 6y agoSure, but I think if you can't use your legs, some robot skills are required by your exoskeleton to not sway around or fall down a stair.
- stubish 6y agoMaybe. Maybe not. But the real question is whether people in 10 years time would prefer a walking mobility scooter or a wheeled mobility scooter. When the Star Wars generation hits this point en-mass in 20-30 years, I predict there will be a huge market for personal AT-AT walkers.
- samcheng 6y agoA previous attempt (dynamically balancing wheelchairs) was the progenitor to the Segway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBOT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBOT
- jpm_sd 6y agoLooks like they are working on a relaunch (re-relaunch?) https://mobiusmobility.com/ https://mobiusmobility.com/ I think unfortunately the main reason the iBot did not originally succeed is that it was too expensive.
- tlb 6y agoCost was a big factor at ~$400k. Also, it was heavy (~100 kg IIRC) so it shook the whole house going up stairs. Also, it was too wide for stairways in older houses. And, if anything went wrong halfway up the stairs, you'd be going down ass-over-teakettle strapped to something metal weighing more than you. All those things could be improved on. Maybe Mobius will succeed.
- adrianmonk 6y agoCould also be useful for movers. Right now when it's time to carry that heavy desk, couch, piano, etc. through doorways, halls, up/down stairs, etc., two really strong people do it manually. Imagine if they showed up with a robot that could do it. In addition to walking, it would need to understand gripping and balancing heavy objects and how to orient and maneuver 3D objects through tight 3D spaces, but I bet those things are understood well enough.
- ufmace 6y agoHaving worked as a mover for a while once upon a time, I don't think it would make much difference as it is now. It's very rare for any moving job to require more physical strength than an average adult male has. The challenge is more like understanding how to handle items without damaging them or the building, what order to move things in so that a truck can be packed well. We'll need a lot more real-world intelligence from robots before they can do something like that. Unusual physical strength, or powered mechanical aids, are mostly only used with unusual items. Ex, most "gunsafes" are more properly Residential Security Containers, and aren't all that heavy (~200lbs) and can be moved around, including up stairs, by two average adults. Real safes weigh more like 600lbs and are much more rare, partly due to the difficulty and expense involved in moving them anywhere remotely tricky. I have heard of powered stair climbers being used to lift such things up a flight of stairs.
- silvestrov 6y agoThis sounds like you're used to moving between suburbs and not old European multi-storey buildings with narrow stairs without elevator and no ability to use an external lift due to small windows.
- ufmace 6y agoA good mix of types of places. Some suburbs, though they sometimes have awkward internal stairs. Plenty of American style 3-story apartments, their stairs mostly aren't too bad. I dunno man, it mostly isn't that tough once you get used to it.
- golemiprague 6y agoSolving the issue of climbing on stairs seems to be much more simple than a robot with legs, there are already solutions in the market, most of them based on wheels or tracks