Mark E. Smith’s great blog Wheelchairjunkie.com, has a great article about powerchairs — a topic which combines two issues I am passionate about: disabilities and technology.

I have seen some amazing powerchairs, from a super speedy model with an Herman Miller Aeron chair, running circles around people at Sam’s club, to a Dean Kamen Segway filled with a small bench (!) at Whole Foods letting the rider sit much higher that in a traditional chair, aiding in shopping and interacting with people at a common height. It is exciting seeing the developments in this area. These advances create an expectation of more than just simple mobility but also freedom.

So, do powerchairs chairs really cost as much as a car.

Not long ago, I saw a television news story about an amazing young woman who happened to use a power wheelchair. … However, just as I was enjoying the story, watching the young woman walk her dog through the grass at a park, the reporter uttered the very words that make me want to rip my flat-screen cable television from the wall every time I hear such statements: “Her power wheelchair cost $30,000, as much as a car,” the reporter said.Like a football fan whose quarterback just dropped the ball, I wanted to jump into the television and choke the reporter. “Power wheelchairs dont cost as much as cars – thats a $5,000 wheelchair configuration, not a $30,000 one!” I screamed, rolling close to the TV, trying to get in the reporters face.

via Cars VS. Chairs – WheelchairJunkie.com.  Also check out Mark’s other blog, PowerchairDairies.

If you are lucky enough to have an iBot, HiZook notes that service will continue on the iBot until 2013.

Here is a commercial for the now departed iBot:

HiZook also  has a review of the Segway RMP 50 robotic platform,  an omnidirectional powered platform that reminds me of something I read in comic books as a kid. Can you imagine using something like this as a base for a powered wheelchair?

Segway RMP Omni 50 from Cressel Anderson on Vimeo.

Alright! Dean Kamen’s prosthetic “Luke” arm is one step closer to helping amputess, especially injured veterans:

Last week, VA announced the start of a three-year clinical trial that represents the first large-scale testing of the arm, a critical step before it can be made widely available. The first patient was fitted with an arm in April.

The device was developed by Deka Research and Development, the New Hampshire company whose founder, Dean Kamen, invented the Segway and various medical devices. 

The robotic arm, nicknamed the “Luke arm” after the artificial arm worn by Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” films, allows those who have lost a limb up to their shoulder joint to perform movements while reaching over their head, a previously impossible maneuver for people with a prosthetic arm.

via VA Tests New Arm That Could Benefit Amputees – washingtonpost.com.  

Check out the video demonstrating the arm in my earlier post.

A new device developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison allows users to tell a computer what to do simply by concentrating on a letter or action on the screen.

via Twittering For Those Who Can’t Talk Or Type – Disability Scoop.

Scott Mackler was a husband, father and successful neuroscientist when he received perhaps the worst news imaginable. At the age of 40, he could run a marathon in three and a half hours, but it was about that time he discovered he had ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Today, Scott Mackler’s mind is as sharp as ever, but his body has failed. Doctors call it “locked in” syndrome. Scott and his wife Lynn learned to communicate with about the only thing he has left, eye movement.To signal “yes,” Lynn says Scott looks at her; to signal “no,” he looks away.

But recently Scott found a new voice. “Can everyone hear the PC?”

You have to see it!

It isn’t exactly new, but it is actually out in the real world; instead of being just some super cool prototype in a lab.

Here’s a nice clear, although in-lab, video showing the features:

BlazerCast for April 1: The IBot Mobility System – The best video clips are right here

Here is a real world video (poorer quality video but showing off road use):

Theresa Test Drives An IBot – Funny blooper videos are here

How stable is it in two wheel mode? Oh, stable enough to go to the gun range! Seriously!

The commercial even shows it on the beach! Sorry, video removed at YouTube: 

How much? Oh, about $26,000 according to the videos. Ouch! For more information, see www.ibotnow.com.

That was just a teaser.  Here is a new video showing you much more of what the arm can do.