Sign in to view
member only content

Devices that help disabled people to get around haven’t been updated too much in the past few decades – but we have seen a few innovations in this area such as AMS Mekatronic’s Tek RMD. With this in mind, researchers at the Polytechnic University in Tokyo have developed the Magic Carpet, a machine that enables young children with walking problems to experience moving around independently and become used to the wheelchairs they will eventually need to use. The device consists of a carpeted platform on wheels with intuitive controls that allow the child to move it forwards and backwards or to spin on the spot in a left or right direction. It can travel in a range of five speeds – from 0.4km per hour to four km per hour – and also features an emergency stop button. The researchers have developed the device with a number of different control options, depending on whether the child is sitting upright or lying down on the platform. With help from a therapist, the child can learn each control process and eventually be able to use it independently. The platform can withstand a load of 90 kg, meaning that parents will be able to stand with their child as it is learning. The following video from DigInfoTV demonstrates how the device works: The team behind the Magic Carpet will continue to work on the machine, hoping to include line-tracing technology that will ensure the device never moves outside of a prescribed area. Are there other ways disabled children could be helped to prepare for the equipment they will have to use in later life? Spotted by: Murtaza Patel