tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73970133490828912412026-10-27T19:40:21.349-04:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-31033376066614250312013-09-02T17:02:00.001-04:002013-09-02T17:02:47.342-04:00

Brad Duerstock, an associate professor at Purdue University's Biomedical Engineering Department, has developed a motorized desk, dubbed the "RoboDesk", in the hopes that it can be used by powerchair users to help increase their employment opportunities.  More information and a video after the jump. While the idea of a retractable desk mounted on a wheelchair is not new, the RoboDesk is a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-44500858755044576952013-07-30T17:39:00.002-04:002013-07-30T17:39:42.227-04:00

Braun has teamed up with West Coast Customs, Hewlett Packard, and Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports to create a revolutionary adapted vehicle built in tribute to special American veterans who have served in the military.  More information after the jump. The crossover was converted by Braun and has been further customized by West Coast Customs with a camouflage paint scheme, 22" wheels, a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-49115355899082288612013-06-26T13:36:00.000-04:002013-06-26T13:36:47.965-04:00

Harvard researchers have developed and demonstrated an exosuit that is designed to boost the strength and stamina of the wearer.  More information after the jump. The 17-pound suit uses a number of air bladders and specially engineered fabrics to strengthen, support, and assist the muscles of the wearer.  While the suit is capable of tripling the strength of the wearer, the user

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-33242438162762647442013-06-21T13:35:00.000-04:002013-06-21T13:35:08.536-04:00

Volvo has released a clip that demonstrates their self parking system that could lead to a time where the need to find a disabled parking space may be a thing of the past.  More information and clip after the jump. The prototype system that has been fitted to one of their vehicles is one of the first self-parking systems that demonstrates the ability to avoid other moving objects, such

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-48085400116467860032013-05-14T20:17:00.001-04:002013-05-14T20:17:32.334-04:00

The New York Post has published an article about a social anthropologist Dr. Wednesday Martin, writer of Primates of Park Avenue, who has uncovered a very disturbing and troubling trend:  Rich Manhattan mothers using disabled tour guides to help their families cut the lines at Disney World. More information and video after the jump. While many of us who have had the pleasure of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-11734191619202136592013-05-08T18:33:00.001-04:002013-05-08T18:33:48.704-04:00

Reports are surfacing that VPG Autos have ceased their operations and production of the MV-1 has been stopped.  After receiving a $50 million loan from the US Department of Energy,  VPG was unable to sustain the funds to repay their loan and continue production to fulfill the orders that have been received.  This is unfortunate news considering that VPG has made about 2,500

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-73342042238047889302013-04-30T17:59:00.000-04:002013-04-30T17:59:17.630-04:00

At first glance, it appears as if Apple has designed a wheelchair, but the Unimo is a one-seater electric vehicle intended to run inside hospitals and rehab centers.  The idea behind the Unimo is to provide an alternative to a wheelchair.  More information after the jump. The EV looks like a recliner with its flat sides hiding the tank treads.  The flat-sided design and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-91875147646984851692013-04-17T20:48:00.000-04:002013-04-17T20:48:13.214-04:00

Being an avid car enthusiast myself and having done my own customizations on my personal minivan, I had to put up a post of Justin Spurlock's 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, whom he dubs as "Orange Crush".  As you can see, Spurlock does not let the fact that he is a C5-7 quad stop him from having one of the nicest minivans around.  More information after the jump. Originally being painted

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-62590258279830968602013-04-12T13:40:00.001-04:002013-04-12T13:42:34.744-04:00

Remember Maddack from this post a couple of years ago?  They have now their collapsable wheels, now called the Morph™, available for sale.  More information after the jump. The design has been altered slightly from the initial prototype with the locking mechanism being redesigned for additional safety and ease of operation.  It is designed to work with a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-2595732296186842402013-03-29T11:34:00.000-04:002013-03-29T11:34:12.623-04:00

Official photos of the accessible version of the new Nissan NV200 taxi have been released.  Check out the pictures after the jump.  Enjoy!

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-19877382547001909662013-03-28T10:33:00.002-04:002013-03-28T10:33:47.066-04:00

Nissan has released a video detailing the accessible version of the NV200 taxi.  The conversion was designed in conjunction with Braun Mobility.  Based on the video, it appears that it is designed to only accommodate a wheelchair passenger or regular passengers and not both at the same time, limiting the practicality of taxi transportation if traveling with a companion or another

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-660827854933816042013-03-27T20:23:00.001-04:002013-03-27T20:23:29.916-04:00

The manufacturer of the new New York City Taxi, Nissan, is debuting the wheelchair-accessible version of the NYC Taxi, the NV200.  As predicted through an earlier post, the vehicle is designed to be a rear-entry vehicle.  The ramp is manually raised and lowered by the driver and the wheelchair user simply drives up the ramp and will be secured inside via tie-down straps. More

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-7802080399570955792013-03-02T19:13:00.001-05:002013-03-02T19:13:37.926-05:00

Darius Glover has been riding motorcycles since he was 7 years old.  After an accident left him paralyzed when he was 15, most people would think that his motocross days were over. Darius is not like most people.  Find out why after the jump. While doctors were telling him that he will never walk, let alone ride a motorcycle, again, Glover was already determined to find a way to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-39773959705016019522013-02-27T20:04:00.000-05:002013-02-27T20:05:24.508-05:00

Audi unveiled a demonstration of their latest feature that is part of a system of telematics system called Audi connect.  This particular feature, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, utilizes the driver's smartphone to interact with their vehicle and allow the driver to exit their vehicle and have their car park itself.  This is a particular feature that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-66359682196088313882013-02-16T14:26:00.002-05:002013-02-16T14:26:50.716-05:00

Kevin Michael Connolly is a photographer, author, and general thrill seeker that has traveled all over the world.  While his earlier photography work and memoirs have profiled the reaction that people have to the fact that he was born without legs, his show on the Travel Channel focuses on how someone with no legs can still have some exciting and amazing adventures and experiences.  

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-23457918298055922682013-02-01T21:30:00.002-05:002013-02-01T21:30:57.903-05:00

Michael Johnson was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2005 when he broke his T5 and T6 vertebrae. Despite his injuries ending his venture into motorcycle racing, he immediately began to seek another form of motorsport where he could still race. It was in 2007 when he began racing in a go-cart that was modified with hand controls. After quickly realizing his natural driving ability with

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-39836257596772490322013-01-28T15:30:00.001-05:002013-01-28T15:30:19.367-05:00

Smart Chair, designed through the combined efforts of Kim Jhi Yong, Park Chul Wung, Eom Gi Chen, Jung Jin Seok, Prof. Kim Young Yun, Oh Jung Min, and Chung Sae Ha, was created in an effort to combine beauty and the latest technological innovations without compromising the safety of the user.  The designers chose to take a minimalist approach to the design of this chair resulting in a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-72543218731929414372013-01-25T14:26:00.000-05:002013-01-25T14:26:06.696-05:00

The US Department of Education has ordered schools to either make "reasonable" accommodations to their sports programs so that disabled students can participate or create separate teams for them.  This historical decision is said to create an impact on school sports not seen since the Title IX order was implemented 40 years ago, a regulation that required schools to offer equal athletic

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-73807949565628500802012-12-20T10:21:00.003-05:002012-12-20T10:21:53.279-05:00

Drifting is a form of motorsport that consists of intentionally sliding a car around a corner at speed.  In many respects, it is like controlling a car that is almost out of control.  Bartek Ostalowski is a gifted individual who competed in various Rally and Cup Car races before his pursuit into Drifting.  What makes this 26 year old from Poland so special is that he drives

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-15301629821735859772012-11-19T12:42:00.000-05:002012-11-19T12:42:01.751-05:00

The car that is in the picture above is a Nissan GTR.  This is currently one of the quickest supercars available to the public.  Capable of keeping up with almost any Ferrari, Porsche, or nearly any vehicle short of a pure race car, it is one of those dream cars that many people only dream about seeing let alone drive or own.  Unfortunately for many of us in wheelchairs, the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-75000413031637675472012-10-19T17:38:00.000-04:002012-10-19T17:38:06.139-04:00

The steering system of a car has started to change quite a bit over the last few decades with the advent of electric assisted power steering, which allowed for much reduced steering effort by the driver.  Recently, automakers have moved to power steering that is completely electric in a quest to improve fuel efficiency and also allowing customizable steering effort for the driver.  

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-16615473610232172442012-10-15T16:05:00.000-04:002012-10-15T16:05:30.088-04:00

Researchers and Engineers from the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan have developed a new wheelchair that has the capability of articulating itself to get over obstacles and climb up curbs and steps.  More information and a video after the jump. The wheelchair normally uses four wheels, which are all powered, to move around in the same manner as a conventional wheelchair.  

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-12930128304211306152012-09-28T16:57:00.000-04:002012-09-28T16:57:07.118-04:00

Signal Snowboards, along with mountain bike accessory-makers Crankbrothers, worked together with the goal of getting former snowboard legend Tim Ostler back on the slopes. Injured from an accident on the half-pipe twelve years ago, the professional snowboarder was left paralyzed from the chest down.  The results of the efforts among these two crews has resulted in one of the most unique

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-47462819521165180332012-09-16T13:59:00.001-04:002012-09-16T13:59:21.811-04:00

Panasonic is developing an electric bed that has the unique ability to transform itself into a wheelchair.  It is intended for limited mobility patients that have difficulty with transferring from their hospital bed to their wheelchair and resolves this issue by simply having them morph into each other.  The patient only needs to be moved onto the side of the bed that transforms into

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7397013349082891241.post-34407723639043191072012-08-30T14:48:00.000-04:002012-08-30T14:48:00.531-04:00

Tim Rinaldi was a very successful drag racer of cars and bikes before becoming paralyzed in a lawn mower accident in 2007.  Not willing to give up his need for speed, Rinaldi decided that he needed a new car and bought a Ferrari 458 Italia.  Find out why he bought this car and how he adapted the car after the jump. Rinaldi had his Ferrari fitted with the Kempf's DARIOS (Digital

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0