EQUAL: Smart car for disabilities

[Lily Kerns]

http://inhabitat.com/inhabitat/#!/en...aa1b66/media/2

I wonder if this would handle a Segway? It's a great idea, at the very least...

Update: this site seems to be having problems and is very slow to load. Try a google search or this link: http://inhabitat.com/inhabitat/#!/en...12186caa5dcb/2. You will have to swipe past the ad to see the rest of the slideshow.

It modifies a Smart Car to have an opening in the back to drive the wheelchair into the car.
The company is based in Croatia and is looking for production startup money. Sorry, I couldn't seem to get a copy of the image to post.

OK I found a bit more http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/eq...isabled-people

This is their funding campaign site, but the video gives more information about the modifications. I'm still not sure that it would work well with a Seg...

[rickb]

This would be a functional city car for all drivers with varied ability levels since most commutes are single passenger. Nice find.

[jgbackes]

Originally Posted by Lily Kerns

http://inhabitat.com/inhabitat/#!/en...aa1b66/media/2

I wonder if this would handle a Segway? It's a great idea, at the very least...

Update: this site seems to be having problems and is very slow to load. Try a google search or this link: http://inhabitat.com/inhabitat/#!/en...12186caa5dcb/2. You will have to swipe past the ad to see the rest of the slideshow.

It modifies a Smart Car to have an opening in the back to drive the wheelchair into the car.
The company is based in Croatia and is looking for production startup money. Sorry, I couldn't seem to get a copy of the image to post.

OK I found a bit more http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/eq...isabled-people

This is their funding campaign site, but the video gives more information about the modifications. I'm still not sure that it would work well with a Seg...

I used to put my seg on the back of my smart car, worked great. There is no drivers seat as far as i can tell, your wheelchair is the drivers seat so doesn't seem very seg friendly.

jeff

[Lily Kerns]

Originally Posted by jgbackes

I used to put my seg on the back of my smart car, worked great. There is no drivers seat as far as i can tell, your wheelchair is the drivers seat so doesn't seem very seg friendly.

jeff

That's my guess too, as it seems to be configured. Now if you can just drive the Seg in, then transfer to a seat to drive normally that rear door could provide an easy way to transport the Seg. Since I've never been in a smart car, I can only guess....

[PeteInLongBeach]

Originally Posted by jgbackes

I used to put my seg on the back of my smart car, worked great.

I used to put the seg IN the back of the Smart car. Tailgate made a nice loading platform. Fit inside like it was made for it...

[KSagal]

If you had a seat on your segway, I can see how it might work as it would for a wheelchair. The site said the controls were all hand controls.

Considering the size and footprint of most wheelchairs, if this is designed for one to fit inside to drive, there may not be much room for a chair to drive from and a segway as well, unless you fashioned one where the segway can fit partially under it, and you back the segway in. Problem with that might be the ability to actually get onto the drive chair.

Still, it looks very interesting. Many computer renderings do. I wonder what it will be like once fleshed out into a prototype.