A startup in Active Body, Inc., Atlanta, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released US Patent 9, 649, 2336 for a new and innovative wheelchair concept. The patent is related to the design of an active body for a wheelchair roller hybrid, which features a robot lift which will allow the wheelchair to naturally transform the user into a permanent position, where there is a facility to run in a helper frame.
Active Body, Inc.
Active Body, Inc. is a startup company in the Atlanta, GA area. Whose mission is to make life better for the elderly and people with physical deficiencies. They have designed a wheelchair that will encourage continued standing and walking for those who can still do so with some assistance. The Rise Active Chair features a robotic powered lift that will help the user to transition naturally and easily to a standing position. Walking is facilitated within a safe supportive frame.
About the wheel chair
Active Body has completed an engineering design and has built a Test Chair in collaboration with the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI). Animations of the Rise Active Chair are found below, as well as a video of the Test Chair in operation. The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent 9,649,236 covering the design and overall product concept to Active Body, Inc. The protection afforded by the patent allows the company to explore licensing of the technology to medical device manufacturers worldwide.
According to the executive body’s chairman, Charles Vick, “This patent covers a new class of wheelchairs which encourages standing and walking for those who can do this with help. Well documented. Continuous decline in the cost of elderly populations and robot lift mechanisms, we believe that this concept is an important market place will represent
Patent no.-US9649236
A dynamic seating and walking wheelchair includes an active seat and a frame. The active seat is configured to move from a seated position to a standing position. The active seat includes a seat back with an upper end and a lower end, and a seat bottom with a front end and a rear end. The rear end of the seat bottom is rotatable about a movable pivot axis approximate to the lower end of the seat back from the seated position of approximately horizontal to the standing position of approximately vertical. The frame is configured to support the active seat. Wherein, when the active seat moves from a seated position to a standing position, the movable pivot axis moves both up and backwards.
