Autonomous technology is an intriguing concept in the present age which is something to look forward to. It seems that scientists have moved on from self-driving vehicles such as cars and trucks. A tech company is now working dedicatedly to use such autonomous technology for the convenience of people when in need. When we talk about human transportation, air travel is considered the fastest and the most convenient medium to do so. People with certain medical issues which cause problems while walking might disagree with this opinion. This is because airports are usually huge and walking from one gate to the other is tiresome. Panasonic’s concept of self-driving wheelchairs might make this form of commute less tedious.
Even if you are a person who is active in the sports arena, you will definitely start panting by the time you reach your connecting flight. This happens as one needs to walk briskly through slippery and crowded passages. To add to this, one is under the constant stress of missing the flight and has a piece of baggage with him. If fit people undergo such inconveniences, then imagine the state of people with limited mobility. Keeping this issue in mind, Panasonic came up with the idea of self-driving wheelchairs that are now being tested on airports.
Self-driving wheelchairs will make moving about hassle-free
If one is suffering from a problem that causes limited mobility, the airport authorities usually provide a manual wheelchair along with staff personnel to push it. This is quite convenient for the person sitting in the wheelchair but it’s manually controlled after all. This means that it can’t provide the kind of speed an automated machine can. Also, having someone to push the wheelchair has been an embarrassing situation for many people as they feel helpless at such a time. The person that pushes the wheelchair can be useful in any other duty on the airport. Self-driving wheelchairs will not impose any such problem.
Panasonic has partnered with a Japanese electronics giant Whill which specializes in mobility. Both these companies got together to develop an autonomous electric wheelchair. This self-driving wheelchair lets the user select a route on his smartphone while he effortlessly glides through the airport. The electric wheelchair can identify its own position and automatically stops in case of a potential collision. After use, it will return to its original spot. The testing for this will first take place at the Haneda Airport in Japan.
This self-driving wheelchair lets the user select a route on his smartphone while he effortlessly glides through the airport.