The Functional Evaluation of Future Wheelchairs Contributing to Ecological Aid in Traveling

Abstract

In Japan, it has been becoming necessary to improve transportation environments suitable for elderly people and physically challenged people. But basic solutions based on an improvement in many infrastructures have political, economical and ecological limitations. So, we have to make other social strategies for creating universal transportation environments for the future. In this research, we had three persons disabled in their legs use "iBOT™", a transporter which empowers you to climb curbs and easily traverse grass gravel, sand, mud, puddles and other forms of uneven terrain and enables you to climb up and down stairs. As a result, it has been clarified that "iBOT™" gives them the following ideas: (A) lengthening average time needed in traveling, (B) diversifying their purposes of traveling (C) giving them more chances to travel without using buses and their own cars. Moreover this study has clarified the social interface of "iBOT™" and some technical points for improvement in Japan. We suggest a new solution for creating efficient and ecological universal transport environments by using the future wheelchairs.