“I am the guy who made Black-hole cool. I’ve lived my life on the edge pushing the boundaries of not just science but what my body can do. Medicine can’t cure me, so I rely on Technology.It lets me interface with the world. It propels me, it is how I’m speaking to you now.” ~ Dr. Stephen Hawking
Now it’s not just a smart key or a smart home management system, even thermostats are joining the Internet of Things. Intel has unveiled the IOT connected Wheelchair — a new layer of connectivity for the IOT. Announced at their annual development conference in San Francisco, this wheelchair is an example of an everyday object being transformed into an intelligent, data-device solution for real-world problems.
Through the Intel collaboration program, a team of Intel engineering interns and employees designed a custom platform that can transform standard wheelchairs into data-driven, connected machines.
What this WHEELCHAIR can do
According to the Verge, this device monitors all the vitals of the user sitting on the chair including heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature. It also allows users to quickly evaluate the wheelchair accessibility of new locations. The intern who led the creation of the wheelchair, 20-year-old Tim Balz, says “it’s a proof of concept — at least for now.”
How does this wheelchair develop
Stephen Hawking worked with the engineers at Intel for more than 10 years to develop this device. Using the Intel Galileo development kit and Intel gateway solution for IOT they created this wheelchair proof of concept that enables the collection of all bio-medical information from the user.
To drive this success, according to Intel there are four main keys :a) security, b) interoperability, c) industry standards, d) scaling with the ecosystem.
The team also built an application that allows wheelchair users to map and rate the accessibility of locations, further enhancing the user experience. Hawking added that the Intel Internet of Things group have also built a sensor on the Intel Galileo board and created an app just to analyse the data.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said “The new connected wheelchair is an example of how Internet of Things can help change lives.”
Hawking, who has been using a wheelchair for more than 30 years stated “This is a great example of how technology for disabled is often a proving a ground for the technology of the future.” He added now”I am Intel inside myself”.
Check this :Â Stephen Hawking audio
