Toyota is rethinking mobility in a strikingly creature-like way.
Unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show, the company’s new autonomous wheelchair concept trades traditional wheels for four folding, articulated legs.
Entitled ‘Walk Me’, the concept is distinctly elegant but also alien-like.
The legs extend and contract like a robotic animal, letting the chair climb stairs, handle uneven ground, and even lower itself gently to floor level.
The effect is part gentle companion, part sci-fi exoskeleton. Instead of treating obstacles as barriers, the chair simply changes shape, adapting its stance to the environment. The way the legs articulate and fold to ‘sit’ look particularly creature-like.
It moves with a slow, deliberate grace, almost more walker than wheelchair.
This is still a concept but the overall design and vision feels notable. It’s personal mobility that doesn’t ask the world to accommodate it.
Instead, it adapts, quietly, elegantly, and a little bit oddly, in the best possible way.
We also appreciate the fabric-wrapped exterior, which softens the overall look.
All images courtesy of Toyota.
For more on the future of robotics, check out these articles on Moss and Fog, which dive deeper into this technology!
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30 Comments
no wheel, so useless … no need of one more chair, disabled people need simplicity not one more chair. If that one can’t roll the problem is still the same, Wheelchair are unable to climb the stairs and that one is unable to roll.
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I think the exoskeleton developing here would be much better. The wearer is upright and supported. A chair is a chair and you can’t look people in the eye.
What kind of service does it need and how do you charge the batteries for it? It looks like it is heavy and would be hard to deal with should it tip over. Needs better side rail technology by the seat so one doesn’t fall off if on uneven ground.
I would trust anything made by Toyota
Having limited mobility, I think this is awesome. I believe it will be many years before it is ready for a real everyday application. The lack of stability for those of us with some balance issues would be a hazard. I do think it is a good start though.
It looks like it is built for someone from Asia, not the US. It is to small for Adults, even the leg rest won’t work. Remember, the reason you need the wheelchair is your legs are not working very well.
I could use something like this but how do you open doors?
Sometime back Dean Kamen (the inventor of the Segway ) was working with Toyota on his multie-wheeled version of the Segway style wheelchair . This wheel chair could travel up and down stairs . It was in use in Japan (?) , but not the USA because of FDA regulatory issues (?) . How does this new electric mobility vehicle relate to Toyota’s work with Dean Kamen’s Segway ?
It looks like a toilet, but seems pretty practical. I wonder how it is on steep hills?
Based on the video, I would say we are 5 generations from a model people would actually want to use. A wheel chair can actually get you somewhere, whereas this crabby thing would take days to get you down a set of stairs. Good innovation though.
Yes
Going up and down stairs and over uneven terrain is definitely game changing. But as others have said, the lack of upper body support makes this unsafe for most wheelchair users.
Yes!
That’s a fair assessment, here’s hoping this comes to fruition, or inspires more to build!
In the video it says it can be used with digital controls, or on the sides of the chair itself. We’re hopeful it’d be compatible with quadriplegic use as well!
That’s a good distinction, thanks for adding.
I would definitely need arm rests. The chair looks unsafe, like you can slide right off. Something like this would give me a big part of my life back!
Agreed, it seems promising!
Fair enough!
Going back to what Doug T. said, if one does not have upper body strength there would have to be something to assist them in sitting. And certainly seat belts off some sort..
A couple commentors mentioned that it wouldn’t work for more severe cases. If you listen to the video, it specifically states, ‘people with limited mobility’ and compares it more to a walker than a wheelchair.
I’m 78 and hope it’s ready when I need it.
I’ll pay attention when I see one that moves faster than a strolling snail, and can do it for more than an hour
It looks amazing and I would think much would have to be done to it to totally work in various situations. Like the chair part looks interesting, but how does a quadriplegic use controls? My husband has a joy stick that has different function. Also my husband cannot sit upright; he needs to change his position throughout the day. I like the function of getting in a vehicle and up stairs.
Wow this would be life changing for me! Please mass produce this; it would give me back my independence!
Reports like this seem like wishful thinking of a wonderful way to help those with mobility issues. I know one personally. The problem is we hear about them being “prototype”, then never see informational follow-ups about where there is one I could actually buy -affordably…. If you need a “real” test subject, let me know.
As a mobility professional, the problem I see is with limited support in the seating system for people with limited core strength, flexibility, or postural deficiency. I would be interested to see just how well it handles stairs and uneven ground.
wow!!!! this is so cool. This is exciting!