A research group that hails from Kobe University claims to have successfully developed a new kind of mobility aid that hovers around, allowing the infirm and elderly to get around without the bumps and knocks associated with wheelchairs. This is meant for indoor use only though, and it has been nicknamed the “Flying Cushion”. Air will blow from underneath just like how a hovercraft works so that it can float slightly, but don’t expect it to be one of those futuristic wheelchairs like Professor X uses in the comics that does not need any wheels at all.
Currently, this machine is able to move backward, forward, left and right using but a single push of the fingertip, with a maximum load of around 150kgs. I guess this mean two relatively slim and healthy adults are able to ride it easily, and something tells me that when grandpa is asleep on his bed, the grandkids won’t mind taking this out for a spin around the home for the sheer fun factor. I wonder how much this will cost though – hopefully it is something affordable for the masses.
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