WHILL makes some of the most interesting powered wheelchairs around, though don’t call them that. These are personal electric vehicles that can serve all kinds of users. They are made of attractive materials and have a unique form that can be used by people that use wheelchairs and those that rely on mobility scooters.
Now the company is introducing a self driving feature for its vehicles that will help people ride around with greater confidence and ease.
The WHILL Autonomous Driving System (ADS) uses cameras to look around and recognize the ground and objects in the vicinity. It can operate completely autonomously, in many instances taking the user from one point to another without having to be assisted in any way. Potentially, a WHILL device can be summoned to come to the bed and leave to recharge on its own, it may help people navigate through supermarkets and other public places while the person focuses on picking out items to buy.
We had a chance to find out more about this system at CES 2019:
