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iBOT Discontinued -- Unfortunate for the Disabled but Perhaps a Budding Robotics Opportunity?
February 11, 2009 by Travis Deyle
As of January 2009, the iBOT powered-wheelchair will be discontinued. This is unfortunate for the disabled community -- Dean Kamen and the others at DEKA (the same people responsible for the Segway and Luke Arm) developed an amazing robotic wheelchair that was (somewhat) unique it its ability to transition from a statically-stable, 4-wheel configuration to a dynamically-stable, 2-wheel configuration to give occupants added height. Further, by pivoting pairs of wheels, the wheelchair and occupant were able to dynamically balance while traversing stairs, not to mention the wheelchair's basic ability to traverse (relatively) poor terrain, such as sand and gravel! All of this was possible due to careful controllers and internal gyros (not entirely dissimilar to a Segway). Read further for discussion -- specifically about why this loss for the disabled community could be an opportunity in disguise for the robotics community and a big win for Kamen and company.
For those not familiar, the iBOT is pictured below in three "compelling" configurations.
On the left, the wheelchair is in its 4-wheeled statically-stable configuration, just like any other powered wheelchair. In the middle, the wheelchair has transitioned to a 2-wheeled dynamically-stable configuration to provide the occupant with added reach. On the right is the wheelchair dynamically balancing while traversing stairs. For the un-initiated, perhaps a video is a little more compelling:
So... I have always thought that powered wheelchairs had the potential to make great mobile robot base platforms. They are typically sturdy, well-tested, and designed for prolong (safe) use. Because of their large market (compared to domestic mobile robots), they also benefit from economy-of-scale in pricing (if one discounts exorbitant healthcare markups in the United States). Consider that I can walk down to a neighborhood thrift shop and purchase a used run-of-the-mill powered-wheelchair for $40 (I still kind of kick myself for not grabbing one of the three; I haven't yet seen another materialize) .
Anyway, it appears that as of January 2009, Johnson & Johnson's Independence Technology (a DEKA licensee) is discontinuing production (with service through 2013). This may be really unfortunate for robotics -- domestic mobile robots are just coming into their own, and a base that could traverse stairs would be a real boon. I think it would be a shame if DEKA dismisses the iBOT in its entirety -- dare I say a "failure" on Kamen's part.
Curiously, Dean Kamen came and gave a talk at Georgia Tech a year or two ago where someone from our group asked him about the iBOT as a robot platform. While I cannot recall his exact response, it was something to this effect:
Because of certain FDA certifications / ratings relating to safety, we cannot sell or distribute the iBOT unless you have a prescription and undergo user training. We really wish we could sell them to roboticists, but unfortunately, that would result in loosing the very costly certification.
Costly FDA certifications, indeed... the iBOT retailed for upward of $25,000 USD. Now that it is being discontinued as a medical device, perhaps it can be fabricated and sold for the robotics community instead (at reduced prices). After all, these could be just as useful as the various Segway robotics platforms that DEKA is (gradually) releasing, such as the RMP series of bases (i.e. the RMP 50 Omni pictured below left or the RMP 200 pictured below right).
Thus... we could either see the discontinuation as a lost opportunity (failure on Kamen's part) or as a budding robotics opportunity (win on Kamen's part). I guess only time will tell.
So, while I'm thinking about Kamen's GT visit some time ago, I might as well share one other interesting nugget -- Kamen was asked his opinion regarding dynamically-stable platforms versus statically-stable platforms for mobile manipulation. Curiously, he share's my (oft mentioned) view that the few added benefits of dynamically-stable platforms (form factor, instantaneous forces, etc) cannot match the benefits of statically-stable platforms (reduced complexity in controllers, behaviors, perception, etc). Perhaps this (partially) vindicates my opinions about having a nice support polygon -- the inventor of the Segway does not believe in dynamically stable mobile manipulators!
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Comments
11:07 am
12:16 pm
Hey Andrew,
I haven't heard any more news about iBot's discontinuation. I'll be sure to let you know if / when I hear anything new.
6:52 pm
11:20 am
I've had a beer with Dean Kamen and he is a human genius...a hero who cares about others. He is amazing and always looks at the "greater good" for all. His brains and character will insure that he will be etched in history long after he is gone. I hope bureaucracy will never scare him away from creating his awesome inventions.
9:45 am
9:53 am
7:40 pm
Hi I am intrested in your Ibot and I have tried emailing you I will email again in a while if I get no reply Glenn
7:36 pm
1:22 pm
11:45 pm
I would love an ibot... unfortunately I am totally dependant on UK state benefits as my husband had to leave his employment to become my full time Carer. An I bot would help me access the platform at my church to enable me to take part in services instead of me having to sit blocking the aisle at the foot of the 2 very deep stairs. There is very limited access for a ramp to be used.
Also an ibot would be perfect for the not so well ramped pavements in the UK! and I could also actually go shopping with my 4 daughters! what a delightful dream this would be!
It is a total waste of fantastic technology for people like me whose lives would be totally transformed with an ibot!
4:48 pm
7:58 am
9:41 am
Oh goodness, my husband was shot in Viet Nam and has been in a wheelchair since he was 20 years old. He is now 61. We had been saving our money to purchase an IBOT for him but I guess this is not going to happen now with them discontinuing the sale of IBOT. It breaks my heart. We had such hopes for him to be able to get around and not be limited by his wheelchair. It's such a shame. He basically gave so much for all of us to enjoy the freedom we do and he's left limited by this primative, manual wheelchair he uses. How wonderful it would have been for him to be able to go out into the grassy back yard and toss a ball with out adopted 7 year old son! People who walk take it for granet all the hardships wheelchair bound people enfure. After he gave his back and legs, his left eye and the upper lobe of his right lung for our freedom, it looks like the government would do more to help assist these veterans in being as independent and make the remainder of their lives easier for them. I don't think Americans encourage our government to do more for our injured vetrans or vetrans in general. How can we stand ourselves? Allowing young men to not only be killed but live with such hardships and not provide the very best of everything to make their lives as comfortable as possible? Such a shame. This IBOT would have given him, pretty much his life back. He could do things he never dreamed he could do again and now, even that is taken away from him. WHY?? Why doesn't someone of means so something about things like this? Does anyone care?
10:48 am
I have had my IBOT for 5 years. wow how time flies. It is the best chair I have been in in the 26 years of my paralysis. I am very upset that Johnson and Johnson failed to continue this chair, but as you say perhaps someone can build a better one. It has been Transformational for me a 43 year old who has been paralyzed since he was 18. No more bounderies. I hope and pray someone will continue this or develop and better more cost effective one.
I always wanted a Delorean. Now I have one, called IBOT. The batteries are the biggest expense. 1100+ every year or so.
6:31 am
I want to preach all the physically disabled that there will be a great advanced WheelChair soon.
I've invented a new innovative mechanism that will enable them to easily up/down different stairs and move anywhere without any help from anyone.
I already design and implement a simple prototype of it, but it needs more support to be implemented in a fully shape.
It will be easy to enter the market with it in less than 2 years, and its price will be very competitive to other normal electric wheelchairs.
m.nour@ieee.org
+0020101278769
3:02 pm
hola soy de chile y me gustaria comprar esta silla para mi hijo de 12 años si fuera posible que me indiquen como lo puedo hacer y cuanto es lo que cuesta esta silla seria fabuloso espero respuesta gracias de ante mano.
3:46 am
11:39 pm
We started some years ago flying a 1965 Vietnam-era Huey helicopter with veterans aboard to schools to teach civics. Later, we donated our Huey 091 to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Price of Freedom Exhibit, as the largest artifact of the Viet Nam War, as a tribute to the men and women who fought in Viet Nam and later wars (www.americashuey.com).
Next, we took upon a new mission - helping wounded disabled, mostly post- 9/11, veterans. After being persuaded by the likes of Tony Orlando and Mary Eisenhower, we amended our mission statement to include helping veterans from earlier wars (www.huey091foundation.org).
How do we help them? That's simple. We provided them with an iBOT(r) Mobility System ("iBOT") which is the only wheel chair that brings a person in a seated position up to eye level with a standing adult, using the same fundamental balance technology that Dean Kamen later would incorporate into the more commonly used Segway. The iBOT, taking advantage of this balancing technology and other advanced technologies, allows a user to climb curbs and flights of stairs without the assistance of others, bringing a freedom and restoration of capability not possible with other mobility systems.
The iBOT was brought to market through a partnership between Johnson & Johnson ("J&J") and Dean's company DEKA. Through this partnership, the launch of the iBOT brought this life-changing technology to wheelchair users throughout the US and Europe. When we became aware of the benefits of the iBOT, we made it a focus of our efforts to help our wounded veterans and have been able to change the lives of dozens of veterans by providing iBOTs to them.
Unfortunately, a challenging reimbursement environment has inhibited broad acceptance of the iBOT. In particular, the Center for Medicare Services determined that the innovative features of the iBOT - for example, the ability to climb stairs and raise the user to eye level - are not "medical necessities" and therefore not entitled to additional reimbursement. Despite significant efforts, J&J did not feel able to continue production of the iBOT in this reimbursement environment. J&J, to their significant credit, is supporting the current iBOT owners until 2014 (five years after production ceased). J&J is rare in its dedication to their biomedical customers. The end of this support is rapidly approaching, however, and with that support ending the current iBOT users will be faced with a transition back to a traditional wheelchair and our Foundation will not be able to provide this amazing technology to additional (and future) disabled veterans.
The good news here is that it seems J&J would love to see Dean Kamen's iBOT back in production and gave all rights back to DEKA. Now, we are trying to revive the manufacture of the iBOT with an all veteran run (perhaps veteran owned) organization.
Gary Sinise, star of "Forest Gump" and "CSI New York", a strong supporter of our military and often overseas entertainer of our troops with his Lt. Dan Band (www.ltdanband.com) has also been a very vocal supporter of our disabled veteran high-tech mobility, and in particular our iBOT efforts, as evidenced in part by the PSA Gary helped us with as can be seen both on our website's home page (www.huey091foundation.org) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/huey091).
As a Viet Nam veteran, I am asking you only to take five minutes to view the attached and if you like what you see, contact us a see how you might be able to support our effort.
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