It's the end of man, obviously http://imgur.com/deahE27
Add TV on it - http://www.chud.com/articles/content_images/117/WALLE3.JPG
Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
141–150 of 195 posts
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
> It feels slightly unsafe though, just a bit. To me, this is part of the appeal. Abled folks get to do all sorts of slightly unsafe things: skateboarding, motorcycling, etc. Why should disabled folks be tied to ultra-regulated, super-safe electric wheelchairs with absurdly slow governors? The edgy vibe is what makes this cool (for me). I'm allowed to choose to ride a motorcycle (which could leave me stranded / kill…
Uh, because you don't have legs in case of a bad thing, and even though disabled people may have strong arms after using wheelchairs, and a strong spirit, it's still far more risky for them. What if the person break a wrist or an arm and can't move with the remaining one ?
That's why it's called risk. An able-bodied person can injure themselves by taking risks just the same. Why should disabled persons be subject to limitations decided by someone else that are designed for the lowest common denominator? That's the only question being brought up here.
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#143What I want is a human-sized quad copter :)
Maybe they'll exist by the time I need one.
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#144[deleted]
The same way one can walk, or run, the person using the device can adjust his or her speed to their conditioning. I don't really understand the dismissal of the idea because one could go fast with it.
People running hurt themselves when they hit people, a wheelchair (itself) won't normally be 'injured' by hitting a person. Moreover there's a natural limit to the momentum in an impact as heavy people usually can't run as fast as lighter people. Motorised wheelchairs usually have relatively heavy batteries and some relatively hard, sharp, edges.
Joystick controlled chairs I've seen have had the joysticks as dead-man's handles too.
I suspect that would lead to some reluctance to embrace the idea completely.
From the perspective of disabilities the demonstrator is certainly using their legs a lot, it seems the usefulness would be for lower limb amputees primarily?
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
If it's not (legally) a wheelchair, it doesn't need FDA approval, and from what I understand FDA approval is an extremely expensive process (as in, "increase unit price by hundreds of thousands of dollars" expensive).
So in the end this is a good move? People who need wheelchairs can get them for cheaper, like how gluten-intolerant people get a lot more choices now that gluten-free options are getting so popular
Except probably not covered by your insurance if it isn't certified
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
Uh, because you don't have legs in case of a bad thing, and even though disabled people may have strong arms after using wheelchairs, and a strong spirit, it's still far more risky for them. What if the person break a wrist or an arm and can't move with the remaining one ?
That's why it's called risk. An able-bodied person can injure themselves by taking risks just the same. Why should disabled persons be subject to limitations decided by someone else that are designed for the lowest common denominator? That's the only question being brought up here.
Alright, they're adult and can take responsibility for their decisions, I didn't want to imply I was taking this away from them.
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#147Is "personal transportation" a new euphemism for "wheelchair"? I've never heard that before.
It's a sit on Segway, seems it would fit the same niche too? From what I've seen of Segway's that niche is kinda "novelty solo recreational vehicle".
One thing here is speed.
UK Highway Code says "Powered wheelchairs and scooters MUST NOT travel faster than 4 mph (6 km/h) on pavements or in pedestrian areas." [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-users... - "must not" IIRC means it's illegal with reference to UK legislation].
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
Segways are cool. Don't have one but I got a chance to test it once. I can see how they could be useful for things like malls and factory floors, in a similar way a kick scooter is. But you know what? Kick scooter is even cooler! The speeds you can achieve on a good concrete surface are exhilarating!
From the outside, powered monowheel seem cooler and less obnoxious than segways. The speed of some of them seems utterly ridiculous though (some brands/models are quoted at 20mph)
No, no they don't seem cooler. They actually trigger a grade school tripping reflex making others want to stick out their foot and topple the rider.
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
It does avoid bearing the medical equipment tag, the old tech metal cruft, disabled .. none of that comes to mind when I saw the video. It might help everybody forget about the condition and start acting normal again. It feels slightly unsafe though, just a bit.
> "It does avoid bearing the medical equipment tag" In my mind, that's a huge negative, because it makes it a lot harder to get insurance to even partially cover the cost.
My anecdotal opinion is that insurance is unlikely to cover anything above the basic wheelchair anyways. I wonder if those looking for light weight, highly active wheelchairs, like those used for sports (basketball, tennis etc) are paid for out of pocket anyways.
Re: Ogo, a new take on personal transportation
#150For those people looking at the guy moving around by shifting in his seat and thinking "I want one!", it looks like this Segway modification is the closest thing you can actually order:
http://suigenerisseat.com