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This wheelchair requires users to ride it like a horse

Its design is supposed make getting into it much easier than a traditional wheelchair.
Its design is supposed make getting into it much easier than a traditional wheelchair. Its design is supposed make getting into it much easier than a traditional wheelchair.

A Japanese company has redesigned the wheelchair, removing the traditional seat.

Tmsuk’s Rodem mobility robot is sat on more like a horse than a chair, putting the user in a high, forward-mounted position that removes the need to twist around when getting in.

The design is thought to make it easier to get in without the help of a carer, and the wheelchair can be controlled using a smartphone to call it to you each morning.

Brushing your teeth, eating a meal, getting out of bed – Tmsuk thinks its product will make all of that easier. The seat’s adjustable height was designed to make talking to people who are standing up more comfortable, while it can rotate easily in tight spaces.

The wheelchair – which comes in five colours – is expected to receive a UK release in summer 2018 and relies on the user having good use of their upper body.

But having been under development since 2009, with numerous prototypes under its belt, it should be an accomplished product despite being new on the market.

It’s currently available in Japan for 980,000 yen (£6,500), and is definitely a new approach to a very old concept.