Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Dean Kamen and Ginger ??? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dee Jay who wrote (62)	1/12/2001 10:58:30 PM
From: ScatterShot	Respond to of 377

<<This is a marvelously conceived and executed put-on, complete with patent app. Brilliant!>> From what I see so far that's no damn joke! Waay tooo early for April Fool's Day! Disclaimer: I'm still wading thru this new thread trying to figger out what they were talkin' about on NPR on my drive home tonight.

To: Dee Jay who wrote (62)	1/13/2001 11:05:24 PM
From: Level Head	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 377

"I love that stair-rising chair drawing - can't wait to see how they do spiral staircases with it!" I just took a look at the patent, and being of an engineering bent myself, I have some observations that could clear up some subtleties about the stair-climbing wheelchair, and perhaps get you to a new conclusion. For example, the legs are intended to pivot, judged from the fore/aft orientation during a step climb, and the side-side orientation on level ground. "And yes, the influence of Escher is quite marked." The fact that one is expecting to see the legs side by side causes this, but in fact the drawing is of an object that can be constructed. "And I love the gearing of the legs which must telescope once they enter the seat's housing since their elevating (to go up the 7" or so typical uncarpeted riser) would require that unless they would protrude above the seat top." Note that the legs are indeed two-part, with a telescoping extension. An 8" extension, done with simple hydraulics, would not need much more than a 9" to 12" total leg height when collapsed. This would require that the leg start fairly high, close under the chair, but this is indeed the way that it's drawn. "And to balance on one leg while the weight was at best centered, that is the miraculous work of the gyros...so clever, and the concealment of the Pentium-powered computer(s) so very good." In this case, the balance does not require a gyro at all. Note the shape of the "foot". It has a considerable lateral extension (kind of an exaggerated "thumb") so that it is projecting across to the center of gravity. Mechanical balance, nothing more. "And the power source - 2 12 volt batteries (deep cycle variety) harnessed to produce a 24 volt system in typical power chairs, is also well concealed - at a minimum group 22 size is needed for all day excursions." Certainly there was no power housing evident, and there would need to be -- and a hydraulic pump (albeit small) would be required as well. With some cleverness, some storage space could be suspended from the "leg bridge", which would be good for balance purposes and is otherwise wasted space. "This is a marvelously conceived and executed put-on, complete with patent app. Brilliant!" For reasons stated, it does not seem so to me. Level Head