S

The Whill started life as an innovative device designed to give manual wheelchairs an electric motor so they were self-propelled. But since its inception, the Whill has evolved into a full-fledged personal mobility device with a unique control mechanism and even smartphone connectivity.

And as promised late last year, the Whill is finally available for pre-order—at least if you’re confident in its creators’ crowdfunding Kickstarter campaign. For such a complicated and innovative device, it’s surprising that the Whill’s creators are only trying to raise $30,000 in funding. In fact, only four people have to pre-order a Whill, with a required donation of $9,500, for them to reach their goal.

But if the mobility solutions already on the market have left you disappointed, pre-ordering a Whill might be worth the leap of faith required. If anything, it looks significantly cooler than what’s come before it, and those dealing with limited mobility can certainly use the boost of confidence. [Whill - Kickstarter]

S

The original WHILL was a clamp on device designed to power manual wheelchairs lacking an electric motor. Unfortunately, it turns out it will never see the light of day, but the design and technology behind that original concept have been repurposed for the futuristic Whill Type-A electric wheelchair that’s actually now up for pre-order with an expected delivery of early next year.

A pair of raised telescoping arms provide a set of controls to steer and drive the wheelchair that can be operated with just one hand, and to make it easy to get in and out of the Type-A the seat automatically slides forward and back for improved access. Four wheel drive ensures the chair can traverse most urban terrains, and a clever segmented design on the front wheels lets them roll forward and back and side-to-side without pivoting.

Pricing details have yet to revealed, but the Type-A is available for pre-order now requiring a leap of faith that when the wheelchair is officially available sometime early next year, it won’t be obscenely expensive when finally delivered. [Whill via Gizmag]

S


This post was originally published on this site