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Dentris, A Mobile Dental Treatment Cart Concept by Clemens Auer

TheFuture — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:40:18 +0000

Dental treatment has remarkably developed during the last few years but it is really a complex situation when it comes with treating a patient who is not able to come to the dentist’s chamber. Dentris is designed by Clemens Auer from Vienna, Austria which is the first mobile cart for dental treatments that deals with the special conditions such as home-care patients. With the growing number of such patients, Dentris will surely become a helping hand for mobile dentists which will allow direct bed treatment. The local environment of the bed-ridden patients site and assures the patient as well as the dentist the most possible optimized and hassle-free dental treatment at home.

Clemens’ words :
DENTRIS offers new chances for people in home-care and dentistry. Society is aging, more and more bed-ridden / people are in need of care and because of the improved hygiene of last decades more and more elderly people keep their own teeth. DENTRIS helps the prevention / avoiding of expensive follow-up therapies as well as reducing costs of outgoing transport / return transport
+ ongoing services. For dentistry, DENTRIS offers the development of new fields of activity, more potential patients, the professionalization of mobile do-it-yourself equipment that dentists currently often have to deal with as the products on the market are un-sufficient and force the dentists to pimp their rides.

Dentists now can go exclusively mobile saving practice / overheads / facilities etc. But the most important actor is the patient. He/She benefits from stopping the physical decay because the health of teeth have an enormous and in public eyes often underestimated impact on the welfare and life expectancy of elderly people (formula: teeth ok >> body ok). DENTRIS helps
overriding the patient?s fear of the dentist as well as overcoming one?s inhibitions towards rentability in seniority (’I won’t live any longer..’).

DENTRIS helps avoiding strenuous transport (bed-ridden people often with tattered cardiovascular system) from home to practice and finally avoids possibly degrading situations for patients (while moving, in practice).

Designer : Clemens Auer

Elderly or Physically Challenged People Can Ride This Universal Electric Scooter

TheFuture — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:04:18 +0000

The new Universal Electric Scooter designed by Ji-Hoon Hong is primarily for the elderly and physically challenged so that they can use the same without any assistance. While one of the major advantages with this Universal Electric scooter is that unlike other scooters that are built for physically challenged, these come with adjustable seats so one can adjust the height accordingly. This allows easy accessibility, seat positioning, and better comfort. Apart from the same, the designer has also looked after the universal safety as the front and the rear lamps has been positioned in a manner which indicates if the vehicle is turning or halting. Overall a very practical design!

Designer : Ji-Hoon Hong

Honda Walking Assist Device for The Elderly and Other People with Weakened Leg Muscles

TheFuture — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:02:59 +0000

Still remember about Honda robotic walking rehab? At that time, we didn’t have much detail information, but now Honda has made official statement regarding this robotic walking assist device. It’s great that Honda tries to extend its areas from cars and motorcycles, but so far we don’t jump in joy for their ASIMO Robot. But this…a robotic assist device for disabled individuals, now you’re talking…

Available in three sizes, the device uses brushless DC motors powered by lithium ion batteries that allow up to two hours of walking assistance per charge. Honda’s Fundamental Technology Research Center will be showcasing the device at the International Trade Fair on Barrier Free Equipments & Rehabilitation for the Elderly & the Disabled, which will be held at Intex Osaka, Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27, 2008.

Honda walking assist device is much more compact than similar device such as : rewalk exoskeleton. If this device is working perfectly, not just us, there are going to be a lot of people jump in joy for Honda’s breakthrough.

From the website :
Honda began research of a walking assist device in 1999 with a goal to provide more people with the joy of mobility. Currently, the device has entered into the feasibility stage.

The cooperative control technology utilized for this device is a unique Honda innovation achieved through the cumulative study of human walking just as the research and development of technologies was conducted for Honda’s advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO. Applying cooperative control based on the information obtained from hip angle sensors, the motors provide optimal assistance based on a command from the control CPU. With this assist, the user’s stride will be lengthened compared to the user’s normal stride without the device and therefore the ease of walking is achieved.

The compact design of the device was achieved with flat brushless motors and a control system developed by Honda. In addition, a simple design to be worn with a belt around the hip and thigh was employed to help achieve overall weight as light as approximately 2.8kg. As a result, the device reduces the user’s load and can be fit to different body shapes.

Note : This device is designed for people who are still capable of walking on their own.

Designer : Honda via AutoBlog