Gadget & Tech News

We first heard about that laser-guided wheelchair way back in 2006 but didn’t really have much more than promises from the team behind it about precisely what they had in store. As New Scientist reports, however, it seems that the folks from Lehigh University and Freedom Sciences are still hard at work at it, and they’re finally showing off some of their progress. The wheelchair is apparently still not entirely automated though, with it needing to be driven to the rear of the vehicle by remote control, after which the on-board LIDAR system kicks in and loads it onto the lift all by itself. Not surprisingly, the estimated price for the eventual commercial version has plus gone up since we last heard from the team, with it now set to demand $30,000 (as opposed to $15,000 to $20,000) when it goes on sale later that year, assuming it gets the essential FDA approval. Until next, you can head on by after the break to check it out in action.