Consider the WheelChair.  Except for the materials from which it is made how 
different is it than one of a hundred years ago?
The American with Disabilities Act mandated a zillion bux to be spent doing 
such things as.......making "cuts" in curbs, widening doors,etc...so that 
places would be "wheelchair accessible".  A laudable goal but misguided.  Why 
not spend that money ...or more likely a tiny fraction of it....and develop a 
walking wheelchair?
A cockroach can walk....how hard can it BE?
That was "tounge in cheek"....I KNOW that walking is hard.  I've read that 
developing an autonomous robot at SAIL is a real struggle...and being able to 
navigate across a room is one of the stumbling blocks....
Ooops....no pun intended...
But Seriously....what with CPU power advancing by leaps and 
bounds.......er....I mean advancing a LOT....is it possible now or soon to 
have a walking chair?  Possibly controlled  by a joystick.  
Such a contrivance wouldn't be much...but I think it'd be better than the 
current contraptions.  Curbs, for example, wouldnt be an obstacle...
Just a thought...
EvMick
Weatherford Tx.
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