What do you get when you cross a wheelchair with a Segway scooter?
An intuitive, hands-free wheelchair that promises new levels of freedom for paraplegics.
Called the Ogo (‘oh-go’), creators say it is smaller, lighter, and faster than any other motorized wheelchair on the market today.
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Working to help a friend who was paralyzed in a skiing accident, engineer Kevin Halsall spent four years modifying a Segway to become a wheelchair.
The user simply leans in the direction they want to go — no need for even a joy-stick to make it move. The steering involves a lot of core muscles, leading Halsall to say it’s “got the occupational therapists very excited.”
The two powered wheels can be changed quickly for all-terrain tires, allowing a user to race down a sandy beach at 12 mph — the average adult running speed or twice as fast as most people jog.
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The Ogo won the National Innovators Award in New Zealand and Halsal has started a company to bring his invention to market. His company, Ogo Technology, hasn’t set a price or delivery date yet but he wants to make it as affordable as possible.
(WATCH the video from Ogo Technology below) — Photo: Ogo Technology
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