Inventor Dean Kamen and the iBOT at Mobius Mobility headquarters in Manchester, N.H.
Kayana Szymczak for Yahoo News writes-
The fact that Kamen and his team succeeded in doing just that should come as no surprise to anyone who’s followed his multi-decade career. The iBOT, introduced in 1999, can, in fact, “walk” up and down stairs by rotating its two sets of powered wheels around each other like gears. It can be controlled remotely for loading or parking. It can keep its balance while scaling obstacles such as curbs or traveling through sand, gravel and shallow water. It can even raise its user from sitting to standing level by lifting one pair of wheels above the other.
But the story of the iBOT doesn’t end there. Instead, Kamen’s creativity and persistence are still being tested today, decades later, as he continues to search for innovative ways to overcome cost barriers and bring the next-generation iBOT, introduced in 2019, to as many people with disabilities as possible.
“It’s not incremental; it is transformative,” Kamen says. “There is nothing even trying to compete with the iBOT. We’ve now seen hundreds of people have their lives changed by it. It would almost be immoral to give up now.”
More info: https://mobiusmobility.com/
Received from Customer Experience Specialist:
ReplyDelete'The first step is to see your physician to request a prescription for an iBOT®, a copy of which must be provided to Mobius Mobility. The next step is to see a seating specialist at a wheelchair clinic in your area to receive a full seating evaluation. Mobius Mobility will attend remotely using a HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform. Your personal training session is typically scheduled between 45-60 days after your initial seating evaluation has been completed.
The price of a standard iBOT® is $31,649. Additional charges may occur due to additional seating and positioning components, or shipping charges, should you choose not to take immediate possession of your iBOT® after completion of training. Additional payment information can be discussed as we work through the process together. If desired, I can provide you with additional funding resources to explore.
Training for your iBOT® takes place at our facility in Manchester, NH. If you are planning on having someone trained in assisted stairclimbing, they will also need to be present. Typically, training is completed in 2 days. When the time comes for travel arrangements to be made, we can assist in recommending accessible hotels, restaurants, rental car companies, and area attractions. If you are unable to travel to New Hampshire, I will work with you as we may be able to discuss alternate locations for your training.'
8/25/2021:
ReplyDeleteWe are excited to announce that Occupied Transport for the iBOT® PMD has been cleared by the FDA and we have 4-point tie-down and EZ-Lock docking options available! With our upgraded software and safe securement systems, you can travel comfortably in your own vehicle, without transferring. We are starting to scheduling training for new iBOTs with Occupied Transport now. Vehicle modification and installation process can be completed at your local MobilityWorks (https://www.mobilityworks.com/locations/).