4 ms·

Here’s a thought - at what price point is it cheaper to buy everyone that needs one an exoskeleton than to rebuild every building to be ADA accessible?

agumonkey 4y ago
second order idea: give a lot of exoskeleton so rebuilding to ADA standard becomes cheap :)
musingsole 4y ago
Around the same time that we cross that threshold, I expect we'll cross another where robots of various types might exist as infrastructure and so demand the same ramps as ADA but for different reasons.
profile53 4y ago
Interesting question. I suspect that would be intrinsically tied to rate of manufacture. The cost of manufacturing exoskeletons will decrease over time while the cost of labor and building modifications will likely decrease.
ralusek 4y ago
I propose that each building be equipped with a R2-D2/The Matrix brain jack terminal, so that the disabled can jack in to simulated experience of the building, thus freeing architecture from ADA constraints. I also vehemently oppose letting people connect from the comfort of their own homes, because it doesn't fit the aesthetic of my cyberpunk flavor.
anonporridge 4y ago
Parallel thought. Would there be some resistance from some subset of disabled people to be forced to use exoskeletons in place of wheelchairs if we decided to go this route?
- SoftTalker 4y ago
  There will always be resistance when people are told what they have to do. Look at recent experience with the pandemic.
  - TeMPOraL 4y ago
    That one is easy to solve, though. Assuming the market doesn't jump at the opportunity on its own, all it'll take is some tax break or subsidy that'll make it profitable be an exoskeleton reseller (or to rent them out). It'll have to be indirect enough to not get flagged immediately on national news and turned into a political issue, if you manage that, the private sector will do all the hard work for you. You'll have gazillion of small companies, many of them fly-by-night scams, borrowing money from banks and investors and spending a chunk of it on marketing exoskeletons as mobility products. This will gradually start shifting real demand, leading to manufacturers and large health providers getting increasingly involved. Doctors might start being offered kickbacks; private healthcare clinics surely will. Exoskeletons will start showing up as an available option, and will benefit from persistent marketing and generic funding - all while regular wheelchairs become less popular and, thanks to reduced demand, more expensive. Eventually, most people will opt for getting an exoskeleton instead of a wheelchair, without, at any point, being "told what they have to do". This is the truth about modern markets in general: consumers, at scale, don't have much agency. They'll just buy whatever they feel is best for them.
Cass 4y ago
Most wheelchair users are either elderly or suffering from some other deteriorating condition associated with pain, overall weakness, or instability, and will therefore likely not be able to use these. (Note that even in the promotional images, people are using crutches to balance in addition to the exo-skeletons.) The classic "strong above the waist, paralyzed from the waist down" image of a wheelchair user that people might have from eg the paralympics is the minority.
dgant 4y ago
ADA accessibility adds value to more than just the disabled. Wielding a stroller provokes appreciation.
- harimau777 4y ago
  Maybe new parents could get an exoskeleton that lets them carry the stroller upstairs as easy as lifting a feather. Heaven knows new parents need all the help they can get!
  - TheCoelacanth 4y ago
    Thinking too small. Get the baby an exoskeleton so that it can get around without a stroller.
nickphx 4y ago
I think there are far more benefits than more easy access to public accommodations.. From the article, the patients that used the exoskeletons had an improved quality of life, reduction in pain from being wheel chair bound and were able to taper dosage on pain medication.
gibrown 4y ago
I think you are seriously overestimating the utility of these right now. It is not just about cost, they are more limited than wheelchairs in many ways.
- theptip 4y ago
  I’m assuming they will continue to improve.

agumonkey 4y ago

second order idea: give a lot of exoskeleton so rebuilding to ADA standard becomes cheap :)

musingsole 4y ago

Around the same time that we cross that threshold, I expect we'll cross another where robots of various types might exist as infrastructure and so demand the same ramps as ADA but for different reasons.

profile53 4y ago

Interesting question. I suspect that would be intrinsically tied to rate of manufacture. The cost of manufacturing exoskeletons will decrease over time while the cost of labor and building modifications will likely decrease.

ralusek 4y ago

I propose that each building be equipped with a R2-D2/The Matrix brain jack terminal, so that the disabled can jack in to simulated experience of the building, thus freeing architecture from ADA constraints. I also vehemently oppose letting people connect from the comfort of their own homes, because it doesn't fit the aesthetic of my cyberpunk flavor.

anonporridge 4y ago

Parallel thought. Would there be some resistance from some subset of disabled people to be forced to use exoskeletons in place of wheelchairs if we decided to go this route?

SoftTalker 4y ago
There will always be resistance when people are told what they have to do. Look at recent experience with the pandemic.
- TeMPOraL 4y ago
  That one is easy to solve, though. Assuming the market doesn't jump at the opportunity on its own, all it'll take is some tax break or subsidy that'll make it profitable be an exoskeleton reseller (or to rent them out). It'll have to be indirect enough to not get flagged immediately on national news and turned into a political issue, if you manage that, the private sector will do all the hard work for you. You'll have gazillion of small companies, many of them fly-by-night scams, borrowing money from banks and investors and spending a chunk of it on marketing exoskeletons as mobility products. This will gradually start shifting real demand, leading to manufacturers and large health providers getting increasingly involved. Doctors might start being offered kickbacks; private healthcare clinics surely will. Exoskeletons will start showing up as an available option, and will benefit from persistent marketing and generic funding - all while regular wheelchairs become less popular and, thanks to reduced demand, more expensive. Eventually, most people will opt for getting an exoskeleton instead of a wheelchair, without, at any point, being "told what they have to do". This is the truth about modern markets in general: consumers, at scale, don't have much agency. They'll just buy whatever they feel is best for them.

Cass 4y ago

Most wheelchair users are either elderly or suffering from some other deteriorating condition associated with pain, overall weakness, or instability, and will therefore likely not be able to use these. (Note that even in the promotional images, people are using crutches to balance in addition to the exo-skeletons.) The classic "strong above the waist, paralyzed from the waist down" image of a wheelchair user that people might have from eg the paralympics is the minority.

dgant 4y ago

ADA accessibility adds value to more than just the disabled. Wielding a stroller provokes appreciation.

harimau777 4y ago
Maybe new parents could get an exoskeleton that lets them carry the stroller upstairs as easy as lifting a feather. Heaven knows new parents need all the help they can get!
- TheCoelacanth 4y ago
  Thinking too small. Get the baby an exoskeleton so that it can get around without a stroller.

nickphx 4y ago

I think there are far more benefits than more easy access to public accommodations.. From the article, the patients that used the exoskeletons had an improved quality of life, reduction in pain from being wheel chair bound and were able to taper dosage on pain medication.

gibrown 4y ago

I think you are seriously overestimating the utility of these right now. It is not just about cost, they are more limited than wheelchairs in many ways.

theptip 4y ago
I’m assuming they will continue to improve.