Students of ASU Create Hi-Tech Wheelchair

Young constructors of the Institute of Researches & Solutions to Technological Tasks are developing a hi-tech wheelchair.

The device prototype is equipped with Mecanum omnidirectional wheels. Such wheels were invented in Sweden by Bengt Erland Ilon in 1973. Since 1980s, when the patent was bought by the United States Navy, this innovation has widely been applied in marine developments. A wheelchair with Mecanum wheels moves in any direction freely; it is highly mobile. This development can be controlled with a smartphone or a tablet, so it does not require an additional remote control unit. A mini prototype of the wheelchair has been produced; we are planning to manufacture a full-size specimen.

This project has been backed by the Bortnik Fund, which assists the development of small innovative enterprises in Russia.