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Autonomous device undergoing trials at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport
CBC News · Posted: Dec 12, 2019
The maker of an autonomous wheelchair is conducting trials at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport. 1:360 comments
Airports around the world may soon be easier to navigate for travellers with reduced mobility, thanks to a high-tech wheelchair being tested this week in Winnipeg.
The Japanese company WHILL has begun the second round of trials for an autonomous wheelchair that takes people from check-in to their departure gate, then returns on its own to a recharging station.
The first round of trials were conducted earlier this year at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
The WHILL airport wheelchair users sensors and automatic brakes to independently avoid obstacles, including other travellers.