Mobility

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have developed a new spinal stimulator that can help restore lower limb function to paralyzed patients. The tiny device can be non-invasively implanted through a syringe.

Remember back before smartphones existed, when you had to buy a separate cell phone, camera, music player, calculator and calendar? Well, the Utility Personal Transporter may one day do for electric vehicles what smartphones did for gadgets.

Back in the good old days, you needed skills to ride a Suzuki up the stairs, and people would look at you like a lunatic. On the Suzuki MOQBA quadruped horsiecycle, though, no skills are required, and people are more likely to look at you with pity.

Infinite Machine has crafted an angular new electric scooter sure to grab hold of eyes while leaving ears in blissful silence. The P1 scooter zips around cities for up to 60 miles per charge, carrying cargo via a fully modular accessory system.

Chinese e-mobility multinational Yadea has launched a brand new D2C webstore, and one of the first products to land is the KS6 Pro folding electric kickscoot featuring a 34-mile battery, top speed of 18.6 mph and a triple braking system.

Lavoie has tapped into its McLaren automotive roots to develop the Series 1 premium electric scooter, which features a slick folding mechanism, powers through city streets with a 900-W motor, and lights up the ride with all-around LEDs.

The ultimate in assistive mobility, Scewo’s Bro is the only self-balancing wheelchair able to rise up and climb stairs. This two-wheeled personal electric vehicle is delightfully intuitive to maneuver, as I found out first-hand at this year’s CES.

Electrical spinal stimulation can help paralyzed people walk again. In a promising new clinical trial, scientists have identified the specific neurons being stimulated, and found that patients can still walk even after the implant was turned off.

Stanford University scientists have just introduced their first untethered exoskeleton for use beyond the lab, which adjusts its level of assistance on the fly and offers a boost akin to taking off a 30-lb (13-kg) backpack.

It's important to monitor the physical activity level of seniors living on their own, as a decrease may indicate health problems, depression, cognitive decline, or a debilitating fall. A new device does so simply and unobtrusively, by hitching a ride on the senior's walker.

Following a successful crowdfunding effort on Indiegogo for the over-powered GT series electric kickscooters, Segway has hopped over to Kickstarter to fund production of its premium models – the P65 and P100S.

Shared micromobility outfit Lime has launched a pilot in Long Beach, California, to test a new fleet member. The Citra electric two-wheeler offers seated throttle-only motoring at up to 20 mph, and comes packing the company's latest battery tech.