The Panasonic Self-Driving Wheelchair has come as a personal electric vehicle that changes the life of anyone with disabilities almost completely. In a good way.
People with disabilities (about 15% of the World’s population) face a number of challenges in going through their day to day activities. Despite this major setback, they are still faced with other ‘man-made’ problems such as lower quality of education, lesser job and financial opportunities, and even pitiable health schemes and provisions being made available to them. The United Nations, World Health Organization, and some other notable bodies, individuals and organizations are increasingly helping to create conducive living conditions for the world’s largest minority group.
Apart from the WHO, other tech giants are also stepping in to change how the story of those in this group is told. In 2017, Panasonic made flying or rather ‘pre-flying’ easier for persons with limited mobility. They are so many amazing details to bear in mind about this awesome machine. Let’s have a look, shall we?
All to Know about Panasonic Self-Driving Wheelchair
1. Panasonic and Whill
The Japanese electronics giant had to take a lesson or two from the Automatic Vehicle Specialists, WHILL Inc., so a partnership was born for this wheelchair. WHILL Inc. is a San Francisco based company with expertise in automatic vehicles. The product was given the name ‘WHILL NEXT’.
2. Trials of the wheelchairs
The emphasis of the makers of the Panasonic self-driving wheelchair is to ensure that it is made ready for the 2020 Olympics in Japan. To this end, work is done to have the wheelchairs available at major airports in the country before the event. Since 2017, trials have started at the Tokyo’s, Haneda International Airport.
In the trial stage for the WHILL NEXT wheelchair, collaboration was reached between Panasonic, WHILL Inc. and the Japan-located Haneda Airport. The technical trial was scheduled for a time frame of August (8) 2017 to March (31) 2018. It was designed to check and evaluate the key features which the machine boasts of. The airport was to make a further input by improving the workflow of its staff and ensuring same for their airline partners.
3. Uber of Wheelchairs?
Just as you can summon your Uber from the airport, so also using an app, you can simply summon this wheelchair using an app from your smartphone. Once you arrive at the airport, you can order for one of the wheelchairs and it will take you to the check-in desk. From here, it will take you around, but then it will not be able to wheel you out of the airport
4. Key technological features
The automated robotic electric wheelchair has three key technological features. These are the automated mobility function, the automatic stop function, and the tandem movement function.
The automated mobility function enables the wheelchair to identify its exact location and move by itself on auto-selected routes in order to arrive at a destination. The user is required to select the destination via an attached smartphone. The machine can move itself to and fro destinations like boarding gates around the airport and can auto-pilot itself back to the start point once the user has disembarked. It decides the best route to take and you don’t have to worry about it bumping anyone since it has a sensor that can prevent that from happening.
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Its automatic stop function is aimed at stopping/ avoiding any possible collision with any form of obstacle. It is also aimed at helping new users of the machine to control it efficiently without hitting any barrier or in case of a wrong operation. Its third function was designed to make a number of the wheelchairs to move a group of persons going to one destination and then return by auto-pilot to the start point as well.
5. Ease of use
You might wonder how mobility challenged individuals get to use this but be rest assured that WHILL NEXT is designed with its users in mind. All the users need is a mobile application through which orders can be placed directly for transportation to major destinations. The app is said to be very similar to that of Uber and yes, is very easy to use.
What makes it even easier to use is the provision for a linkage to a luggage autonomous cart that will take your luggage and follow the autonomous wheelchair without getting lost. With a speed of 5.5 mph, the self-driving wheelchair is able to cover a range of 15 miles.
6. Staff Workload
Like every machine, WHILL NEXT was made with the intent of reducing the workload for an already overworked human race, in this case, the airport staff. As an automated vehicle, it needs little or no input from man in selecting its destination, driving there and returning to its take-off point. They even are wired to drive themselves to a select location at the close of work every day for storage and maintenance. These, of course, should ease off quite a large burden from the staff and user, more importantly.
7. COST OF THE WHEELCHAIR
After an understanding of the very helpful features that this machine comes with, it is left to wonder if it wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to obtain one but Panasonic has not yet revealed the price of these beauties and lifesavers. From findings, however, WHILL NEXT, has been found to sport similar characteristics with the WHILL Model M which sells for a whopping $11,000 apiece.
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What do you think about the WHILL NEXT? Well, considering all that have been stated above and the fact that persons with limited mobility can get to worry less about air travel, this should be a reasonable price.
8. Models
There are different models of the WHILL wheelchair such as the Model Ci, Model A, and Model M Power. The Model Ci is a winner of the Red Dot Award 2018 “Best of the Best” in health category. It has up to 5 MPH and 10 mile range and accessories such as a walking stick holder, lap belt, side bag, arm covers, and a smart key.
The Model A wheelchair has up to 5.5mph and 12-mile range as well as accessories such as a phone holder, walking stick holder, flashlight, and backpack. With the Model M Power, it has up to 5.5mph and 15 mile range as well as similar accessories as above.
9. Where it can go to
Best for last, this vehicle is not only able to drive you around autonomously, it is also able to take on almost all kinds of terrain including rough terrains and steep hills. This is made possible thanks to the design of its wheels that have smaller wheels and tracks allowing it to navigate anywhere including dirt, snow, and grass.
