"You know BB-8 had just come out in Star Wars and we were thinking ‘hey, that's a real robot, can we convert that robot to being this wheelchair’," said Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler, professor of mechanical science and engineering.During a test run, he was able to hold his wife's hand, sip a cup of coffee and roll, for the very first time.
The chair, nicknamed PURE for Personalized Unique Rolling Experience, uses what's called "ballbot" technology. It is operated like a Segway, where the rider leans in a desired direction. When PURE is available for consumers, the expectation is that it will be able to run all day with self-docking and charging capabilities, and come with a self-driving feature.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more: