New Line of iBOT Mobility System
Around the web, there is talk of a new iBOT Mobility System - the 4000 series.
For those visitors that aren’t familiar, the iBOT is a wheelchair that can …
- Maneuver off-road
- Rollover curbs up to 5 inches tall
- And climb stairs!
The iBOT uses a gyro system (the same one that is utilized in the Segway and invented by Dean Kamen) to perform these tricks.
Although somewhat cheezy in a promotional way, you can click here to see a video of the iBOT wheelchair.
Burgerman, a wheelchair modder wrote a 6-page review of the iBOT 4000. Burgerman has been covering the iBOT’s development since 2003 when he wrote a fun and intelligent review of the iBOT 3000.
In the review, Burgerman doesn’t seem able to justify the $17,000 sticker price. But he does write that the iBOT “is such an important Powerchair and BIG forward step in technology that SHOULD be useful to all of us if properly implemented.”
Below are product specifications for the iBOT:
| Seat to Floor Height: | Rehab Seat: 18 inches (457 mm) Automotive Seat: 21.5 inches (546 mm) |
| Maximum Drive Range: | 12.4 miles (20.4 km) depending on function |
| Maximum Speed: | 6.8 mph (10.9km/h) programmable |
| Drive Wheels: | 12 inches (305 mm) pneumatic |
| Casters: | 6 inches (152 mm) solid |
| Ground Clearance: | 3 inches (76 mm) |
| Minimum Turning Radius: | Standard: 39.8 inches (1012 mm) 4-Wheel: 29.9 inches (760 mm) Balance: 30.6 inches (776 mm) |
| Overall Length: | 42.9-46.9 inches (1090-1190 mm) including footrest varies with seat size |
| Overall Width: | 25.2-28.7 inches (640-730 mm); varies with seat width |
| Battery: | Two x 67.2 volt; Weight 24 lbs (11kg) each; recharge time 6-8 hours |
| Unladen weight: | 289 lbs (131kg) |
| Tilt: | 10 degrees |