You've probably heard about self-driving cars, but what about self-driving wheelchairs?Driver-assistance technology is being rolled out in a whole new way at Chicago’s Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Power wheelchairs are being fitted with LUCI Mobility sensors and can analyze safety information. Robotics developed by Dr. Brenna Argall, a research scientist at Shirley Ryan and an associate professor at Northwestern University, is being added as well.
Always scared I’m going to drive into the water accidentally," Lee said. "If I’m getting on or off CTA trains, there’s a ledge and I’m scared I’ll get too close. There’s just all kind of obstacles you don’t think about."Argall said an estimated 100,000 visits to the emergency room each year are the result of wheelchair accidents."For people who already have power wheelchairs this can make driving easier, safer, offload the burden.