iBot 4000

A man clothed in denim shirt and jeans sits in a robotic wheelchair that is elevated on two of its four main wheels.
Inventor Dean Kamen demos the iBot. Photo: DEKA Research and Development Corp.

The iBot is an advanced robotic wheelchair. It allows users to get up curbs and go up and down stairs. It can also raise its seat so the user can reach higher spots or talk at eye level with a standing person.

Creators

DEKA and Mobius Mobility

(Originally developed by DEKA, now offered by Mobius Mobility.)

Year
1999
Country
United States 🇺🇸
Categories
Features
iBot featured on TV commercial. Video: iBot

More videos

Rate this Robot

Overall Rating

Average Rating: 3.9 stars (945 ratings)

Current Ranking: #145 top rated

Would you want this robot?

66% said yes (959 ratings)

Current Ranking: #175 most wanted

Appearance

Neutral

Most rated "Somewhat Friendly" (2,189 ratings)

Current Ranking: #86 creepiest

Did you know?

Dean Kamen, founder of DEKA Research, invented the iBot after seeing a man in a wheelchair struggling to go up a curb to enter a mall.

An empty robotic wheelchair that is elevated on two of its four main wheels.
The iBot can self-balance and climb stairs. Photo: DEKA Research and Development Corp.

History

Research and development on an all-terrain wheelchair began in 1990 at DEKA, founded by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. The iBot was first publicly announced in 1999. Johnson & Johnson's Independence Technology partnered with DEKA, investing $100 million to license and commercialize the technology. The iBot launched as a medical device in 2003, with models ranging in price from $22,000 to $29,000, of which Medicare would cover only about a fourth. In 2009, Independence announced that it was discontinuing production. Kamen kept working on it, though: Starting in 2012, a new version began going through the FDA approval process, and in 2016, Toyota announced its support for the iBot by licensing the wheel balancing technologies underlying both the iBot and the Segway. In 2019, the next generation iBot was announced, to be sold and distributed by Mobius Mobility in Manchester, N.H.

A man guides his robotic wheelchair across a green lawn.
A user drives his iBot at home in 2006. Photo: Joe Tabacca/Bloomberg News/Getty Images
A man sits in a robotic wheelchair that is elevated on double height wheels.
A user demonstrates his iBot in raised position. Photo: Joe Tabacca/Bloomberg News/Getty Images

Specs

Overview

Capable of driving on grass, sand, and uneven terrain. Equipped with wheels that rotate around each other to allow the robot to climb stairs.

Status

Discontinued

Year

1999

Website
Width
67 cm
Height
126 cm
Length
106 cm
Weight
127 kg
Speed
10.9 km/h (standard driving mode)
Sensors

Gyros, accelerometers, and rotary encoders.

Actuators

DC motors

Software

iBalance software for dynamic stabilization when iBot is in self-balancing mode.

Power

7.2-Ah nickel-cadmium battery

Cost
$25,000