Segway's Sister, The iBOT, Approved
from the sounds-more-fun dept
While Dean Kamen has gotten a ton of publicity for the Segway, before he built that he invented the iBOT - a very creative modern "wheelchair" that could climb stairs, travel over rough terrain, and place the user's head at eye-level so they could be the same height as anyone standing. It actually sounds like a pretty cool invention (in some ways, cooler than the Segway). Of course, unlike the Segway, the iBOT needed FDA approval - which it has now received. Of course, if you thought the Segway was a bit too pricey at $5,000, I imagine you won't be quickly handing over the $29,000 necessary for the iBOT.
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More discrimination against the disabled
Medicare sure as hell isn't going to pay for one of these.
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
One likely demand segment - companies that find $29K to iBOT-enable a single employee would be less expensive than making the workplace itself accessable.
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
But what happens when another handicapped applicant shows up? And a third?
The building I work in has over 150 employees, none of whom are handicapped. The building has 4 handicapped-only parking spaces, ramped access and just recently several hundred dollars were spent adding hydraulic door openers with remote buttons so that people in need of assistance can open the doors. Ironically the doors all require card key access to open, so you have to approach the door, swipe your card, back up several feet to where the buttons are located and press the button before it times out and you have to swipe your card again and then quickly try to get through the door before it closes on you.
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
The iBot can also travel on the beach. I don't see any wellmeaning citizens trying to pave the beaches for the current wheelchairs to get around.
The iBot can stand straight up so that somebody in a wheelchair can have an eye to eye conversation with a standing person and regain a little self respect. I don't see anybody else trying to solve that problem, either.
You think it *discriminates* against the handicapped? Good lord. It enables things that no one else is dreaming of. And people like you would hold it back over nonsense excuses like "Oh, this is just a reason not to build ramps."
Not to mention the fact that your whole premise is faulty. The people doing the building don't get to decide whether to install handicapped accomodations, the law does. And it's not like the law is going to change just because of the existence of the iBot.
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
Actually, your attitude is exactly the kind of sophistry I'm talking about.
"The iBot can also travel on the beach. I don't see any wellmeaning citizens trying to pave the beaches for the current wheelchairs to get around."
Yes, there is less access, and now people will use the iBot as an excuse to keep them inaccessible.
"You think it *discriminates* against the handicapped? Good lord. It enables things that no one else is dreaming of. And people like you would hold it back over nonsense excuses like "Oh, this is just a reason not to build ramps."
Yes, it increases your kind of attitude that the handicapped have too many rights. They don't have adequate rights, and so-called "accessible" buildings are rarely truly accessible.
"Not to mention the fact that your whole premise is faulty. The people doing the building don't get to decide whether to install handicapped accomodations, the law does. And it's not like the law is going to change just because of the existence of the iBot."
Tell me how often the law is enforced. Tell me how often slimy lawyers find an excuse not to rebuild accomodations, making their crass public statements about how they won't "cave in to political correctness".
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
By stepping off instead of rolling ...
Cheers
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
I'm sure the prices on the iBot will go down and I wouldn't be surprised to see medicare and/or vocational rehabilitation paying for them.
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Re: More discrimination against the disabled
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