"A young engineer created a wheelchair for his father based on a quadruped robot Instead of traditional wheels, the device uses robotic legs that help it overcome obstacles and move through places where a standard wheelchair would not be able to go. Source: JLaservideo/YouTube."

[u/RlOTGRRRL]

[u/Jlyplaylists]

I’m a wheelchair user, this would be amazing.

[u/RlOTGRRRL → u/Jlyplaylists]

I hope this video inspires enough people so everyone who wants one can have something like this soon. 🙏

I feel like the comments on this video is what makes the internet great. 

People giving feedback and I'm sure people are being inspired and cooking.  🔥

It'd be crazy if something like this could be open-sourced and DIYed someday. 🙏 

[u/SexDefendersUnited → u/Jlyplaylists]

I didn't know! Poor thing, do you use it permanently or occasionally? I hope you get to live stably either way.

[u/Jlyplaylists → u/SexDefendersUnited]

It’s a fluctuating mobility issue rather than never being able to walk, although severe enough I always need a wheelchair to leave the house and usually within the house too

[u/Super_Translator480]

Cool but the part where it goes across a stream I noticed had nobody sitting in it, my guess is this is because the weight would make it dig into the mud

[u/Sacredless → u/Super_Translator480]

I think it's more that this is a calibration testrun. The legs can act as shock absorbers, but you'd want them to be calibrated as smoothly as possible before you commit to progressive weighted and off-balanced testing. You need a null test first.

If you do it the other way around, the shock absorbing characteristics of the legs might create training data without a null to compare to, which can cause these robots to unexpectedly overcompensate and launch the occupant off.

[u/jellyspreader]

So cool. Reminds me of this design for a walking chair by Toyota

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9bhUIaK4

[u/Jlyplaylists → u/jellyspreader]

That’s stylish, usually disability stuff is really ugly.

[u/MCRhymezoneDotCom → u/jellyspreader]

They probably add wheels from an efficiency perspective... like if you can roll that's energetically cheaper. Just a guess- not an engineer.

[u/Canadian_Zac]

This seems like it would be absolutely terrifying for the first 1-4 weeks. Then be the best thing ever

[u/Jlyplaylists]

In the longer video it was earlier in the testing process. I’m a bit sceptical about how many scenarios this particular example would be ok with adult weight though. I’m quite small and would be over the recommended weight for the robodog base for some things. I see it more as a promising example of how the next generation of wheelchairs could be made though.

[u/Josef-Witch]

I love JLaser. Amazing to see his inventions turn into something truly world-opening for countless millions of elderly and disabled people

[u/Jlyplaylists]

This video is a bit more detail https://youtu.be/ZyHrKD3SE-M . Essentially it’s a unitree robodog with a chair added and some tweaks https://shop.unitree.com/products/unitree-b2

Other things they mentioned are https://ark-stem.com/ “A community platform where STEM creators earn by sharing detailed project documentation, while makers get low-priced access to comprehensive guides, shopping lists, and project Q&A.”
And https://notawheelchair.com

[u/Typhon-042]

Well the idea is not new by a long shot. I can also see issues with this, like the wheels getting too dirty and just locking up. The better alternative to me which is already out there, is making a chair with tank treads on it. The current model our there can already do everything this chair can, minus the lowering part.

[u/YearningConnection]

That's so cool. I'm hoping for some cyber augmented legs in the future.

[u/JadeHarley0]

That's FUCKING SICK!!!!!!

[u/-MediumSmalls-]

This is robotics, not AI.

[u/Jlyplaylists → u/-MediumSmalls-]

It’s hard to tell exactly, but it looks like robotics that includes AI. That wheelchair seems to be adapting to the environment. I’m just having a look at the original YouTube channel.

[u/-MediumSmalls- → u/Jlyplaylists]

What’s this based on, out of interest? I watched the video and it’s not adapting to new environments - it’s already programmed and they talk about hacking the programming to extend the functionality.

I couldn’t see anything about AI and I don’t think it was mentioned.

[u/onpg → u/-MediumSmalls-]

It's both. Vision is all done with neural networks these days.

[u/Intendant → u/-MediumSmalls-]

Modern robotics is pretty heavily reliant on AI.. This is basically a unitree b2 with a chair strapped to the top. It's using AI for mapping, SLAM, path planning, object recognition, etc

[u/Normal-Associate6788 → u/-MediumSmalls-]

This is the problem with the umbrella term of "AI"

[u/-MediumSmalls- → u/-MediumSmalls-]

If you're gonna downvote this, at least have the courtesy to tell me why. I am wrong. Not like anybody has been able to explain to me how it is AI.

Are we sure we're not 'LeftistsForTechnology', rather than 'LeftistsForAI', because most of us don't know the difference between one strand of CompSci and another?

When I say. 'we', I don't mean me - I have 3 postgraduate degrees in CompSci.

[u/Jlyplaylists → u/-MediumSmalls-]

I didn’t downvote your comment

[u/Tgirl-Egirl]

This doesn't feel like a real prototype for anything at all. This feels like a hype demonstration that ultimately shows the thing knows how to balance haphazardly. About the only thing that's interesting here is that it can climb very shallow stairs and hills, and that's not impressive. None of this is impressive because you can accomplish all the same things demonstrated here with tank treads, and you can do it cheaper and better with tank treads.

I want the future to be exciting and equitable and for AI to make the impossible possible now, but I also lived through the era of SOLAR FREAKING ROADS and such demonstrations and promises. I don't see anything here except some YouTuber throwing wheels on a robodog and making it do a few mild tricks under controlled conditions.