Part Man Part Car

Nike's Sole Makes Prosthetic-Wearing Runners Faster

2012-02-07T12:49:00.002-05:00

Running blades are designed to enhance the performance of running amputees to the point where, in many cases, they can outperform their able-bodied counterparts. Looking to further enhance the performance of prosthetic-wearing runners, Nike and Össur, makers of the Flex-Run prosthetic running blades, worked together to create the Sole. More information after the jump.The Sole is essentially

Andrew Mitchell's "Ultra-Long Distance" Wheelchair Concept

2012-02-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

Andrew Mitchell's concept for an "ultra-long distance" wheelchair is an elegant take on a racing wheelchair. The main objectives when designing this wheelchair were to provide comfort and optimal performance for its user, it has to be more than just an aspirational stylistic experiment. To push the wheelchair along, tracking motion is required and comfort of the user is paramount. More

Brave Scooter Driver Tackles Washington Highway

2012-01-24T19:57:00.003-05:00

The above picture was taken during a recent snowy day on a highway around Spokane, Washington. In the middle of a traffic jam on a highway, here is a guy who is traveling in his Medline Strider scooter getting through the gridlock!

NYC Unveils VPG MV-1 Taxi

2012-01-16T14:52:00.002-05:00

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently unveiled VPG's MV-1 that has recently been approved for taxi and limousine duty in the city. Other cities, such as Philadelphia, have also recently approved this vehicle for taxi and limo use. Currently New York City has placed 30 MV-1s for test usage in their Access-A-Ride program, a program that is criticized by many

Coming Soon: Nitro Circus: The Movie 3D

2012-01-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

The Nitro Circus crew is a group of extreme athletes/stuntpeople/adrenaline junkies that have traveled all over the world in order to some of the most insane and over the top stunts that have never been attempted. In the case of this blog, one of the members of this crew happens to be Aaron Fotheringham. You can see the Hardcore Sitter about a minute and a half into the trailer as he

WHILL Turns Manual Chair Into Powerchair

2011-12-10T14:33:00.001-05:00

WHILL, a Japanese mobility company, recently debuted a prototype of their WHILL personal mobility device at the Tokyo Motor Show. The premise for this device is to give wheelchairs who may not necessarily need a powerchair full-time but could use the power for traveling long distances. It seems that this could only be used outside as this would significantly add width to the chair when in

Bridgestone Shows Off Air-Free Tires On A Scooter

2011-12-07T21:06:00.001-05:00

Air-free tires are not a new idea in the world of wheelchairs and scooters as foam-filled and solid-rubber tires have been available as options. Solid tires are extremely durable and the worry to maintain optimal tire pressure or even a puncture is not there. Despite this, there are a number of people who prefer conventional pneumatic tires due to the better ride that a solid tire could

Ford To End Production of Econoline, Replaced By Transit in 2013

2011-12-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

Ford has announced that the Econoline, the full-size that is widely used in North America for wheelchair vans, medical transports, and taxis, will end production and be replaced by the Transit in 2013. The Econoline has been sold in North America for decades and has become the mainstay of wheelchair vans, becoming the full-size vehicle of choice when one's wheelchair does not fit into a

Maddak Inc. Collapsable Wheels For Manual Chairs

2011-11-29T18:42:00.001-05:00

Maddak Inc. is working to bring an innovative set of collapsable wheels for manual chairs in September of 2013. Originally conceived for use on bicycles, this application for this wheel, as explained by Maddak, "will enable wheelchair users to get their wheelchair and wheels into and out of a car with greater ease, to pack an extra set of wheels in a suitcase when travelling, and to

LED-equiped Contact Lenses Could Give Us Terminator Vision

2011-11-22T10:11:00.001-05:00

Researchers have recently tested a new type of contact lens that is equipped with a single LED and have been able to conclude that it caused no adverse affects to the user. This conclusion can open up the possibility of projecting information directly into the user's eye thus eliminating the need for a traditional display. This evolution of a Heads-Up Display (HUD) could not only be used to

Bespoke Innovations Turn Prosthetics Into Art Pieces

2011-10-31T21:19:00.000-04:00

Scott Summit, an Industrial Engineer from Stanford, has founded a company called Bespoke Innovations whose purpose is to use cutting edge technologies to drastically improve the self-esteem to those who have suffered limb loss by creating custom prosthetics that are not only very functional but also stunning pieces of art. Utilizing modern design, engineering, and manufacturing techniques,

Iimagine Design's Carbon Black Wheelchair

2011-10-30T15:43:00.000-04:00

Iimagine Design, based in the UK, recently debuted their new wheelchair, the "Carbon Black". Utilizing the latest in design, manufacturing, and materials, this is a unique manual wheelchair constructed almost completely out of carbon fiber. The overall design of this chair serves the purposes of not only being comfortable (as each chair is custom-measured to the user) and accessible but

Smart Idea: Trevor Prideaux Integrates Smartphone Dock In Prosthetic Arm

2011-10-26T16:07:00.001-04:00

What would you do if you have a prosthetic arm and a smartphone? If you were Trevor Prideaux, you would have integrated a dock into your arm, just like he did. The British native is being credited for being the first person in the world with this particular modification. Before this idea came about, Prideaux was considering purchasing an iPhone, but could not easily use it since he would

Can Driverless Cars End Need For Adapted Vehicles?

2011-10-25T19:56:00.000-04:00

While the latest advances in automotive technologies are initially conceived to make the driving experience safer and/or easier, technologies such as adapted cruise control, sensors, and GPS navigation systems have advanced automotive systems to the point that automakers such as GM have stated that by 2020, there will be vehicles available to the general public that will have the capability

Autoblog Takes VPG MV-1 For A Quick Spin

2011-10-06T18:21:00.002-04:00

Autoblog has recently been given the opportunity to take the brief drive of VPG's MV-1 at their production facility in Indiana. While the focus on their test drive was assessing the driving characteristics of this car, they managed to reveal some interesting bits of information that should be of interest to those interested in the car. First off, if you plan on driving this from your chair,

VPG Auto's MV-1 Begins Production

2011-09-24T17:40:00.002-04:00

VPG Autos has officially started production of their vehicle, the MV-1, at their manufacturing facility in Indiana. The vehicle will be available for purchase both for commercial and consumer applications and has the distinction of being the first and only factory-built and assembled vehicle which meets or exceeds the vehicle guidelines of the

Brazilian Man In Wheelchair Goes 62 MPH on Highway

2011-09-17T15:19:00.001-04:00

The clip above is video of a retired Brazilian fisherman who adapted his wheelchair with an engine capable of propelling him to speeds in excess of 100 KPH (62 MPH). The retiree was detained by local police for driving without a license and for lacking an adapted vehicle permit. For a man possessing a single arm to modify and operate a wheelchair at highway speeds and passing slower vehicles

Push Through

2011-09-01T17:11:00.002-04:00

The following article was written by the creator of this blog for Cure CMD on the subject of transitioning from school to college to adulthood. The intent for this piece is to focus on the thought process behind transitioning rather than actual information. There are many other sites and resources where you can get actual information, such as SSDI and vehicle adaptation and wheelchairs, but

Mercedes F1 Team Sponsors Artificial Hand For Fan

2011-08-23T19:49:00.000-04:00

British teen Matthew James, who was born without a left hand, found a creative way to secure funding to obtain an artificial hand. The young Formula One fan wrote a letter to Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP Petronas team boss, asking him for the funding to get an artificial hand in exchange for permission for the company to place a Mercedes logo on his hand - along the same lines as the logos seen on

Part Man Part Car Tip: Service Your Chair/Scooter Or Else It Can Catch Fire

2011-08-04T17:54:00.000-04:00

Aiden Cassidy's story of his scooter serves as a reminder to powerchair/scooter users to make sure your chair is properly maintained. The 77 year-old stroke victim from the UK was using his 6 month old scooter when he noticed that the motor was cutting out. After shutting the scooter off and restarting, one of the batteries on the scooter had exploded and broke out into a fire. Thankfully, Mr.

IntelliWheel AGS Provides Automatic Gearing For Manual Chairs

2011-08-01T19:25:00.000-04:00

Engineering Grad Student, Scott Daigle, has developed a new set of manual wheelchair wheels dubbed the Intelliwheel AGS. AGS stands for "Automatic Gearing System" which makes this one smart wheel. These wheels utilize sensors to analyze the various conditions and sorts out the best gear to be in so that the user is maximizing his pushing effort. The best part is that this works without the

2011 Honda Odyssey By BraunAbility

2011-07-19T18:34:00.000-04:00

BraunAbility has begun to release information about their Entervan conversion for the current 2011 Honda Odyssey. The picture above is a preproduction vehicle that was shown at the 2011 Abilities Expo in Los Angeles earlier in April. The conversion incorporates many of the usual refinements that are consistent with BraunAbility's conversions; however, there is a step for the driver and front

Movie Watch: Johnny English: Reborn

2011-07-18T13:40:00.000-04:00

Rowan Atkinson is reprising his role as bumbling spy Johnny English in the upcoming sequel "Johnny English: Reborn". The particular scene in the trailer that would be of particular interest is the scene where Johnny English is evading his enemies in a extremely fast powerchair by driving under a semi-truck. Check out the trailer above and see the scene for yourself. Enjoy!

Egle Ugintaite's Concept For Walking Cane

2011-07-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

The Aid personal health management device provides the possibility for users who love to be an active member in their community but have difficulty in leaving their homes due to the health issues. This cane-like unit has been designed to become useful ICT device in user’s daily lives where it features services that are integrated with social infrastructure. More information and images after the

Aaron Fotheringham Lands First Wheelchair Front Flip

2011-06-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

There have been many posts on this blog about Aaron Fotheringham and his various stunts. This time, during the Nitro Circus tour in New Zealand, he lands the first wheelchair front flip. Check out the clip and see it for yourself. The successful attempt is shown about a minute into the clip. Enjoy!