Wheelchair of the future, the ballbot (EMMY nominated)

The ballbot wheelchair may be the future of mobility assistance. Researchers from across the University of Illinois campus have created a Star Wars-inspired robotic wheelchair that uses a single, rolling ball to provide a handsfree, intuitive, and flexible device for users.
To learn more about this project, visit
mechse.illinois.edu/news/54099
healtheng.illinois.edu/news/h...
This video was nominated for a 2023 regional Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

[@BarbVanLieshout-vv9gm]

How awesome!!!!!

[@billcanoe]

Years ago I saw (and used) a prototype of this thing. It was called a computer mouse. The mouse ball rolled around on a mouse pad. The rolling ball's motion was picked up by a couple of wheels and the computer translated the wheel movement into x and y axis signals. They have just reversed the thing to have the computer drive the wheels which then drive the ball! (When I taught PC101 back then, there was a 15 minute segment on keeping your mouse's balls clean!)
It's not so much the ball that's exciting, but I'd like to learn more about the program that controls the wheels, and how the ball rider inputs to that program.

[@justanjenkins6388]

i cant see that getting through the snow or mud.... might work indoors on smooth flooring, but when i look at my chair and what i normally carry with me.. i cant even see that chair holding me let alone bags and things on it...

[@smosh_jith]

I know it's a prototype (and it's very impressive), but I wonder how it would handle angled elevation changes, such as traditional ramps. With the low clearance of the ring, it would be tilted backward, shifting the user's weight, which from what I can tell is how it is controlled. I'm sure it's been considered by the experts here, I'm just curious.