New Product Allows People to Manage a Wheelchair and Other Devices with One Controller
People in electric wheelchairs can now make calls, text and generally use many Bluetooth-enabled devices through one wheelchair controller, Medgadget reports. With the interface, someone could use a device that drives a wheelchair to control a range of devices, anything from a smartphone to a television, according to the story. The Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation worked with Otto Bock to develop the interface.
The various joysticks, buttons, and other control devices on electric wheelchairs are already designed to be ergonomic for their users, so it was only natural to use them for interacting with computers and smartphones. Additionally, the system can stream information about the wheelchair to its user, including how much battery life is left and what the expected range is. — “Fraunhofer Interface for Otto Bock Wheelchairs Lets Users Control Smartphones, TVs, Other Devices.” Medgadget. 6/6/13.
