The winner of the three-year Mobility Unlimited Challenge is Phoenix Instinct from the UK. The company will receive $1 million to further develop its intelligent ultra-light carbon fiber wheelchair, bring it to market, and hopefully transform millions of lives in the disability community for the greater good.
The Toyota Mobility Foundation, established by Toyota in 2014, launched the $4 million global challenge back in 2017 in partnership with Nesta Challenges, in a bid to drive innovation in the field of assistive technologies for people with lower-limb paralysis—a demonstration of Toyota’s mission of Mobility for All. The Challenge called for engineers, innovators, and designers from around the world to submit their designs for groundbreaking devices, integrated with the latest technologies, to enhance the mobility and independence of end-users.
Over eighty teams from 28 countries around the world entered. The University of Pittsburgh’s Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) led the assessment of the entries and provided mentorship alongside a team of Toyota subject matter experts, and the winner was chosen by a panel of expert judges.
Phoenix Instinct’s Phoenix i uses intelligent systems to automatically adjust its center of gravity, making the ultra-lightweight carbon fiber frame extremely stable and easier to maneuver. It uses a front-wheel power-assist to reduce painful vibrations and minimize strain on the user. The chair’s intelligent powered braking system automatically detects when the user is going downhill and adjusts to manage the user’s descent.
“The wheelchair as we know it has been technologically unchanged for decades,” said Andrew Slorance, CEO & Founder of Phoenix Instinct. “The funding we received through the Challenge allowed us to prove smart technology makes for an easier to use and safer wheelchair with the potential for a suite of new features. With the prize money, we can now advance this work and bring the Phoenix i wheelchair to the consumer.”
The finalists included teams from the U.S., Japan, Italy, and the UK, with devices ranging from a hybrid exoskeleton on wheels to a fleet of semi-autonomous electric devices to assist manual wheelchair users when traveling. The four other finalists were:
- The Evowalk: Evolution Devices (U.S.)—a smart wearable simulator that goes right below the knee and uses artificial intelligence to support your muscles at the right time aiding in rehabilitating walking and preventing falls for people with foot drop.
- Qolo (Quality of Life with Locomotion): Team Qolo, University of Tsukuba (Japan)—a standing mobility device that integrates exoskeleton and wheelchair functions. It supports the function of standing and sitting with a passive assist mechanism for people with lower-limb paralysis.
- Quix: IHMC & MYOLYN (U.S.)—a highly mobile, powered exoskeleton offering fast, stable, and agile upright mobility.
- Wheem-i: Italdesign (Italy)—a wheel-on semi-autonomous electric device that provides ride-sharing for wheelchair users. It is primarily designed for micro-mobility and is usable on a variety of surfaces.
At its core, the Challenge was developed to highlight the importance of collaboration with end-users and create inventions with the disability community in mind. It supports the UN’s Sustainable Development goals, specifically Goal #10 of reducing inequalities in supporting devices that help people with paralysis better access society for economic, social, educational, and other opportunities.
The judging panel for the Mobility Unlimited Challenge were:
⦁ Professor Linamara Battistella, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine doctor at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil),
⦁ Winfried Beigel, Director of Research and Development for Otto Bock Mobility Solutions (Germany),
⦁ Dr. Mary Ellen Buning, President-elect for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (U.S.),
⦁ Dr. Kay Kim, CEO of NT Robot Co. (South Korea),
⦁ Dr. Eric Krotkov, Chief Science Officer at Toyota Research Institute (U.S.),
⦁ Eric LeGrand, disability rights advocate (U.S.),
⦁ Sophie Morgan, television presenter and disability advocate (UK),
⦁ Ruth Peachment, Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist at the National Spinal Injuries Centre (UK),
⦁ Matthew Reeve, Director of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation (U.S.),
⦁ Dr. Yoshiyuki Sankai, President of robotics company Cyberdyne (Japan),
⦁ Dr. Lloyd Walker, professional rehabilitation engineer at Tech4Life (Australia).
“As we believe at Toyota, when we are free to move, we are able to fully participate in society, and I’m excited for each of these devices supported by the Mobility Unlimited Challenge, particularly the winning device, because of how it will allow so many people to better do what they want to do,” said Sir Philip Craven, member of the Board of Directors at Toyota Motor Corp. and former President of the International Paralympic Committee.
“The [coronavirus] pandemic also highlighted the need for non-disabled people to have a better understanding of the importance of mobility for all,” said Liz Vossen, Program Manager, Nesta Challenges. “We hope that these devices will improve the mobility of people across the world and contribute to a more inclusive future.”
Around the world, millions of people are living with lower-limb paralysis (the most common causes being strokes, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis). While there are no statistics on paralysis worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates there are 250,000-500,000 new cases of spinal cord injury globally every year.
