New electric wheelchair can hang on stairs and rough terrain

Scewo, the creator of the wheelchair, seeks to develop more prototypes and launch a marketable model in 2018.

Scewo, a team of Master's students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and the University of ARS in Zurich, has created a two-wheeled electric wheelchair that can climb the stairs. The chair uses large wheels to move and works with an active control to keep the chair level in any circumstance.

The wheels allow the chair to overcome obstacles such as curbs, trams, grass, stones and mud, and it can also change direction when stationary. The user can climb the stairs while sitting in the wheelchair by loitering back, as the rails automatically adapt to the angle of the stairs and maintain the user's level.

The prototype was created in June 2015 as part of a university project, which turned into a functional test machine. The team of designers and engineers hopes to create a marketable model by December 2018 when their studies are completed.

Mobility options and support for wheelchair users are on the rise. If not, what will be the next technological breakthrough aimed at helping people with disabilities?