A review and opinion of the old original Independence Technology IBOT 3000 Transporter, - (superseded in 2005 by a newer 4000 model) - a stair climbing, balancing and 4 wheel drive Power-Chair! 

Posted 2nd December 2003
Updated 17th December 2004

• NEW! A full review and test of the latest new iBOT 4000 here!
  

• A quick review of the latest iBOT 4000 by a reader here!

First Some news... 
Since the beginning of October 2003 it's now possible to actually order one of these things - with a one month delivery time.  According to an email I got from James McEuen - UK Manager of Independence Technology. The same guy that brought me one to try at home a long time ago!

Some background... In the beginning (yes I know, it was all dark) a few years ago while the IBOT was being developed, the guy who had the job of setting up Independence Technology Europe (in Switzerland with cuckoo clocks etc) - David Coates, European President of the company, came here to visit me, partly because his mum lives here!  I think I was the excuse for him to escape work!  He came to my house to see me several times and discussed all sorts of things, Probably because I already had an "old" website with lots of info on this subject and a few others (www.burgerman.info should you be interested!).  And I seemed to be the sort of tinkerer, engineer, and disabled user that may be able to give some useful feedback? Well I tried but apparently nobody listens...

Anyway back to the plot. This thing really is CLEVER! it has had lots of development work and rather a lot of money thrown at it. And it took years to get this thing through the FDA certification process since nobody wanted to be responsible for it spitting someone down a fire escape...

This assessment of the IBOT can't be a simple short review because the thing is so unfamiliar and different. So it is going to be necessarily a bit long and need some explanations...

To begin with the user needs to be assessed by Independence Technology staff... Then they are sat in the chair and the right parameters "programmed in" by laptop to ensure the chair is safe for them, and that a C of G "fit" has been correctly set up. This does not take too long. But your max weight had better be less than 17 stone!  The chair will tell the computer you are lying!  I had to Diet for a year and lose 4 stone before I could try one!  Seriously.

Explanation & Review starts here!

• A side note - 16 December 03 - James (below) e-mailed me about this review and was a little concerned. So I have decided to add this note. Please remember that this review / short test is of a PRE-PRODUCTION chair. There are some changes made on the one that's supplied to you, but I think these are mainly footplates and armrest related?
  
  James has offered me another test of the production one as it will be supplied to the public. Frankly considering that the "Standard Modes" problems mentioned below are caused by programming (which is FDA approved presumably - which takes time to re-assess?) and C of G positioning, I don't see how it can "steer" any differently. We will see very soon hopefully! This page will be updated as soon as I know for sure.

This chair has 4 user modes. These are chosen by pushing buttons on the joystick "screen" and are basically as follows:

Arrival!  James drives it out onto my driveway carefully, It's remote controlled!  >>> Bigger Picture 2048 wide! Bigger Picture 640 wide!

• Balancing Mode 

• Stair Climbing Mode

• Four wheel drive Mode

• Conventional PowerChair Mode

Balancing Mode - The best first!
It has the ability to "stand up" on two wheels and BALANCE. In the photo below my hand is only touching the van because I was amazed I could reach it! For the first time in 5 years!

It can and does smoothly drive around like this, entirely safely! It feels very unnerving at first! It is however quite safe! This is the mode that this chair will be used in when travelling along pavements and roads, shopping centres and in open areas. This mode is the most comfortable, controllable, and the least battery draining mode! Turning left or right requires little energy because the centre of gravity is of course directly over the wheels!

It was quite possible to drive up the ramp, and through my front doorway, into the hallway in this mode! Such is the control. This feels so natural, smooth, controllable. And you are the same height as you girlfriend, barmaid, etc.

This makes for some easy conversation at long last!

I wasn't allowed to test it in the pub (or any public place since it was not FDA certified back then - shame!)

Even when pushed and shoved backwards & forwards really hard - and I do mean hard - it just fights back and maintains it's station and it's VERY powerful. It does move back and forth a little if you do this, but its just keeping it's balance in the same way a person that was suddenly pushed does.

2040 pixel version!

It uses a bunch of small solid state gyros (actually with the same "core" as the ones used in Radio Controlled Helicopters - Made by BAE Systems in the UK) to achieve this. Their feedback (angular position in pitch) is fed to a bunch of Pentium processors (And no it does not run Windows!) along with wheel speed & position data. Some clever software controls the motors and it balances. In this mode the chair is excellent and the "height" of the seat is also adjustable. But the higher it is set, the slower it can travel. Its all about physics! Don't ask...

The sheer pleasure and fun of both balancing as if you are stood up, along with the ability to communicate properly, AND the fact that it is more battery friendly in this mode means that I just have to have one.

CONCLUSION 10 /10 for Balance mode! I love it. I would suspect that all the chairs users will spend most of the time like this. This alone makes the chair worthwhile. Life is so much easier at this level, full time chair users just forget what it like to be at a "normal" height.

Stair Climbing Mode
Stair Climbing is something that all powerchair or manual chair users only occasionally need!  Most of the civilised world is recognising the advantages of wide level entrances and lifts, because it makes it easy for EVERYONE to get in. Old women, mothers with those MASSIVE push chairs, as well as looking "easier" and more inviting! So they sell more! At least around here, we have accessible shops, and pubs etc.

And your OWN house is better either converted, with lifts, ramps etc., as a long term permanent solution. 

Think about what would happen to your routine if it was away for servicing, or it broke! (Ever see any powerchair that didn't???) Or if there was a fire. Or if you came in late and woke up the whole house going upstairs, or the battery was buggered after a long trip around the pubs and you couldn't get to bed! You would need a SPARE one, at £21,500

It's not smooth or graceful... Its noisy, it looks and sounds* like the chair is getting very stressed out!  It is "awkward" and the bit between the wheels, (gear case???) catches the corner of the steps unless they happen to be exactly the correct size or less... If I lived somewhere with a staircase and needed this as a permanent solution then I would not bother. Think about it!  Going up and down a full flight of stairs 5 times per day would tire you, the chair, the staircase out fairly rapidly I think. I could be wrong... Time will tell.

BUT Importantly, the IBOT's stair climbing ability is a "way" of getting over the inaccessibility of stairs on occasions where there is no sensible alternative. Such as when getting into a friends house, or an inaccessible shop / bar or whatever. It gives you more options! Its not a solution, but it is another option if you need it! And as a wheelchair user you NEED as many things in your favour as you can get, life's hard enough. 

How it works...
For an average paraplegic or someone with some upper body strength the IBOT allows you (or a helper if you have no arm strength) to go up any stair or step that has a handrail. It NEEDS to have something secure to hold on to.  In this mode it does NOT balance by itself!  You do it - you are now in charge.. You reverse up to a step, change into the STAIR mode. In this mode the joystick does nothing... Then as you push backwards on the handrails the pair of wheels rotate or "step" backwards. The more you push backwards the more it climbs steps to "get upright" again because its gyros tell it that its leaning back. If you push forwards so as to "fall forwards" down stairs it rotates its pair of wheels to move forwards and so steps down because its gyros sense the forward lean, and so to rotates its set of wheels forwards. All this depends on the user taking charge of the position by pushing and pulling on the staircase handrails.  A similar thing happens when descending, only this must be a bit scarier! I don't know I didn't try it I have a spiral staircase!.

CONCLUSION 8/10 for Stair climbing mode! I don't love it but its there if you need it! This is probably the main reason people will buy this chair, but they may use it less than they initially thought. Its useful for the occasional problem access but I don't see it as a full time solution.

Four Wheel Drive Mode
In 4 wheel drive mode the chair sits a little higher than in "normal" configuration. It has to do because it needs to lift the castors off the ground out of the way.

It steers well (presumably I didn't try it, but I build 4x4 robots and powerchair bases, here!) on loose surfaces, or smooth non grippy surfaces like tiles big halls, or would be "ok" for pavement use mostly in straight lines. Obviously with 4 wheels on the ground turning on good surfaces is a problem. It can also obviously go through sand, mud etc (but IF I paid $30,000 US Dollars or £22,000 UK Pounds for it I might not want to drive it in muck!!).

It has tons of torque and little could stop it. If going off road is your thing then it will please you! And the gyro means the seat is self levelling! And it will go up and down kerbs and ramps well!

What it does not do well in this mode is to turn on concrete!  It is (as all 4wd tank steering devices would be), jerky and makes a tyre ripping sound as it tries to pull the tyres off the rims... It looks like it will do if you try too hard!

Obviously you could not use tank steering in the house because it will rip up the carpet! For these conditions its best to revert to balance or normal modes!  Should be fun in the snow on the way to the pub, or for towing cars... In this mode the seat remains level on ramps and inclines, and can be raised or lowered. Useful for washing vans, gardening, and steep ramps etc.  Except that the only gardening I do involves Cement, Sand, Gravel - check out my driveway...

Far too much green in the world if you ask me!  Might be fun on the beach!  $30,000 dollars in salty corrosive sea water and sand, nice!

Side note...  If it was mine (and it will be soon I hope) I would seriously look into either fitting wider wheels, or "banding" the ones it comes with. I can do this easily I have a lathe, plasma cutter, and a TIG welder!  What warranty?  My wheels will be wider by 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch about 2 days after it arrives... This will give more support to tyre to cope with the lateral forces that the tyre sidewalls suffers when being pulled sideways!  Makes the thing tougher. I am still wondering why it isn't already like this??? I may also look into tougher tyres. But then I change everything!

CONCLUSION 8/10 for 4 wheel drive mode, provided you understand the limitations of this type of steering. Could SO EASILY be better if it had wheels and tyres with less sidewall, so they don't get ripped off, pulled out of line! Still useful at times though in straight lines or on loos off road non paved surfaces!

Normal "powerchair" mode

Oh dear. I don't like to say this but this is a real problem. If I couldn't reprogram, and otherwise modify this chair to get over these fundamental problems for myself, then I personally wouldn't buy one.

The problem is that in your home, your friends homes, at the table eating, at your computer and in the pub, maybe 2/3rds of the total day you will be in this "normal mode".

A BIG problem for me is the "control programming". (effectively the same as a normal powerchairs "computer settings)

The programming leaves the chair feeling incredibly slow to respond, and "heavy" feeling. It's a similar feeling to driving around in 2 feet of glue with flat tyres. I found it hard to believe, James tried my own F55s (that is completely reprogrammed at an engineering level - drastically!) and he was VERY surprised how zippy and light and manoeuvrable it was!  It is fast but very HIGHLY controllable and precise.

I remember thinking that I couldn't cope with it (IBOT) like that, but this IBOT  was still a prototype chair. I presumed that they would do something about it. James now tells me that they have not!  This is a huge problem for me because I know what I want and that its easily possible!  And they will not give me it!  I could never use it on a daily basis as a "full time" chair like set up like this.

Side note This programming issue, and all the "acceleration and damping" they have "engineered in" in its "normal mode" alone is enough to make me want to either make drastic changes or NOT buy one.

The thing is, they will not let me reprogram the thing. This means that When I get mine I will need to install an additional controller piggyback style (no big deal) and Interface it or have a separate control stick!  And mess about with the wiring, and have a changeover switch so I can gain some control.  And this will cost me a Grand on TOP of the £21,500 -  I will do it too - as soon as I can.  Remember that you may not find it this bad.  I am very critical since I know how much difference it can really make! My own F55s chair is totally reprogrammed and has bigger power controller, better batteries, rewound motors, taller gearing, bigger wheels and tubeless tyres, seat moved back, etc etc...  Thing is I know what I want and unlike most people.  I know how and why I want it as well as how to achieve it!

Another BIG problem - The fact that there is FAR too much weight on the front castors (C of G too far forwards by miles!) makes the control problem even worse! It makes it:

a) more sluggish to turn on carpets etc making it feel as if parked in glue!  While at the same time having to use huge quantities of torque to turn - Lots of Rear Drive Chairs are also nose heavy giving similar problems (mine is not!) but not so extreme. Basically its a waste of energy and you can "feel" the fight!

b) huge amounts of torque kills tyres and carpets! And it FEELS horrible when you do it. You can sense the enormous forces and the torque used and it is tiring mentally. Makes you not want to spin around to talk to someone for eg.

c) huge amounts of torque take equally huge AMPS so this indoor use will murder your batteries... Turning takes more amps than driving on the flat full power anyway, why make its battery life worse?

d) Having a very forward weight bias means loss of control when the ground is uneven, say going up a ramp at an angle as you often need to do, as the front casters stop on the ground and a rear wheel leaves it!  This is pretty bad because the rear wheels are your directional control. So it suddenly spins around instead of going where you want to. Its not alone here though MOST rear drive chairs do this as standard and its dangerous!  

Note my F55s does NOT do this now because I moved the Centre of Gravity back about 4 inches. Now on uneven ground it stays controllable, and it has 2/3rds of the weight on the rear wheels I will do something similar to the IBOT... Maybe bigger castors, or a bit of engineering will allow me to shift the seat back a few inches? Don't know yet until I get hold of one and take it apart... Watch this space... This will of course help the steering, and save on battery power too.

Another problem at least for me, is the sitting position. This adjustable in angle away from your desk or table, but in its "lowest position" (still a few inches higher than conventional powerchairs causing a few problems with desks and dinner tables) it is very "flat". Bolt upright with a flat seat! Every time I let go with my hands I fall forwards. I am T4 Paraplegic. Very tiring!  Don't know if I could take that all day sat at my desk... The rear of the seat (actually all the seat!) needs to be lower really. James suggested a tapered cushion but I need some cushioning depth at the base of my spine to prevent sores... I usually use a Jay2 Gel cushion.

(The one that it comes with is horrible in comparison. I tried one once - left loads of small marks on my backside! And it sounded "crunchy" and was not firm enough to transfer from or too... So it might be better if it came with no cushion?)

As far as the seat angle goes I will:
a) fit bigger castors to the front which makes it even higher, but stops me feeling as if I will fall out! This will also move the centre of gravity back a touch, and make it roll easier so turning response may be a little better.
b) Fit a slight tapered wedge so my cushion is tilted back a few more degrees... 

With a bit of re-engineering of the seat I can possibly move this back a good few inches too! The result of the combined small changes will be to make it more comfortable and more manoeuvrable but unfortunately higher still!  And still in DIRE need of some serious reprogramming.

4/10 for Normal mode. Too many things wrong here. Almost any other powerchair is better in this "conventional mode". Put simply its awful to drive. And I spend all day everyday doing just that!  In case you think its just me please read an extract from another person that tried this chair at home who I do not know!  This mail arrived as I was building this site! Here

Conclusion - I re-read this page AFTER I had typed it all in.  It makes the IBOT sound much worse than it really is!  I really don't mean to knock it!

It is SO GOOD at everything else - apart from moving around indoors - that it still makes all other chairs OBSOLETE.   And I do mean OBSOLETE!

It has one or two "designed in" problems that could easily be sorted out and should have been before it got to this stage!  Minor things that needed thinking through. Why didn't they ask someone like myself,  BEFORE they designed, developed, tested, certified it??? It beats me because one quick look from 30 feet away told me all this before I even tried it.

It's always the same.  Ask a real user LAST!  if they wake up before the PowerChair users all  tell each other about its "problems" instead of the benefits then it will be an amazing success even at this £21,500 price.  I think if they don't fix these issues rapidly, (and its not hard!) people will remember it for its "faults" rather than its incredible achievements.

On the other hand, I don't care what people say, I will be buying one anyway. Its the first product of a new "line" of mobility devices. It has some flaws, and future ones will no doubt be cheaper (remember digital watches???) and better.  But I can see its advantages and achievements NOW! And I want one NOW!  I have the technology, I will fix its little problems myself - I like a challenge anyway. Right I started saving, and I am in "talks" with my local wheelchair services as I write this! Watch this space.

UPDATE 17 December 03

Here is a picture of the PRODUCTION IBOT 3000
You may notice there are a few visible changes. The most important is that they have done away with the original EXCELLENT footplate! Arrghhh....

Now it has weak looking Swing away ones that are similar to the ones I had to CUT OFF my own original F55s chair. They get in the way of transferring from chair to bed, chair to van seat etc You have to move forwards to get you legs and feet far enough forwards to get past them. When you have muscle spasm problems at the end of a long day in the chair this is not what you need.

Plus its wider at the front now, meaning that as we all know the footplate will be banged and battered every time you try to go through a doorway that you cant "hit" straight on. Turning in tight spaces like loos etc also becomes harder. Great. Who exactly thinks of these things!  They are supposed to "swing away" to help nurses lift people into them I suppose, but for most paraplegics trying to "transfer" into bed, car, other seats or chairs it cant be swung! The bed / chair is in the way... These sort of "improvements make it harder to use and less "nimble" in tight places. Exactly the sort of places this chair is designed to allow you to get! I showed this review to James again, and he says its not wider, or in the way. Well it certainly looks it in these pictures, so watch this space. As soon as I see a new one in the flesh I will update these pages.

If it IS just how it looks to be I will have to go through all that cutting, building new PROPER footplate again! See here Just like it had for several years while under development.

And one other small problem. Price!

Here is a price comparison with the $29,000 US dollars it costs to purchase in the US. 
In UK Pounds at today's currency exchange rates, it SHOULD cost us £15,683...  

But they want to charge UK citizens £21,500 UK Pounds!
Which is as you can see below the same as $39,755 US Dollars!

That's an EXTRA £5,817 UK Pounds MORE EXPENSIVE! 
Or if your prefer $10,755 US Dollars more!
From www.xe.com live real time exchange rates

The reason?
According to the UK guys, because it includes a "two days training" which is really just a few hours, because the FDA, which does not apply to us in the UK anyway, insist!  So who exactly then pays for the US guys to be trained then?  Because the FDA must require this in the US as well? Its a smoke screen if you ask me!  Almost £5,000.00 to "train" you for a few hours! Simply do not believe it.  Or want it or need it.

Other common US chairs like the PRIDE ones are the same price here in the UK as in the US... So it is not a taxation or transportation issue either. So what's the real reason?

Also, this "training" that I neither want nor need is going to be FORCED on users...  And it's too far for me to travel anyway in a day safely for medical reasons!  (I have to go to their facility at the other end of the country.)

 I have a BIG problem with this "nanny" attitude to disabled people. I can buy a plane, motorbike race car etc and because I am not disabled they don't refuse to sell to me without training!!  What if you are buying as a present for example? Say for a charity to give to someone? There are some serious legal issues here I suspect. Maybe basic human rights issues. I think we need to see a little more flexibility here. Training should be "advised" only.

I am still waiting for a proper detailed reply to this from James at Indep. Technology UK; but strangely its gone very quiet!  So that's about it for now - but watch this space!

Some more photos and its OLD proposed specs are posted below from my old site www.burgerman.info ...