Hacker News Reader

Comment by rasur | Hacker News Reader

So, this isn't mainly for disabled people, I take it?

The title is a bit weird. I don't understand why they call it "personal transportation". I mean it is personal transportation, for people in wheel chairs, but not a new take on personal transportation in the way Segway tried to be.

It is personal transportation, just focused on a particular set of users.

Why do you think so?

The title wasn't clear ('personal transportation' made it seem - as others have mentioned - in the class of personal transportation that might be occupied by Segways etc), and I had limited (read: no) time so I did not get to watch the video.

I mean, it looked like a wheelchair to me, but hey it's the 21st century, sometimes it feels like all bets are off. :/

I suppose obesity could be considered a handicap.

Having problems walking is having problems walking. Judging the disabled because you think they deserve it doesn't make them healthy again. I'm not sure what it accomplishes, to be honest.

I think the idea is that you can have problems with walking that could be fixed by walking (I am currently in a situation like that after a knee surgery). I cases like that, this would not be a (objectively) helpful device.

But I do not consider myself qualified on this topic, as I have no idea how far the obesity problem has gone in the US.

If you have problems with X that could be easily solved by Y, you don't buy device Z instead that makes problem X worse. People aren't that dumb. If they buy Z, they have some other reasons.

EDIT nevermind, I'm being stupid here. Too much coffee probably. Commenters below are right.

I myself just avoided walking for a few months, and I've seen quite a few people use aids that they should not use out of laziness. So I disagree with your statement.

If Y is a strenuous activity (walking when very overweight), if the problems caused by X (obesity) are mostly long-term, and if Z is a device that offers immediate relief for X's short-term problems, then yes people very often buy Z.

People choose immediate gratification over long-term solutions all the time.

If you have -limited- mobility then a device that can get you through everyday life instead of limiting your everyday life to your current mobility level is beneficial. Your hypothetical future mobility is not the point. If you can only walk 1 mile then this lets you get to something 2 miles away until you get to the point where you can walk those two miles. Working with an occupational therapist is obviously a complete therapy.

Scores you some point of self-esteem, if you're the kind of a person who bases their worth on comparing themselves with "those others".

if you watch the video it seems so.

I'm also thinking the general public wouldn't be interested in something that makes them look disabled.

this is pretty awesome for someone who is disabled/old/obese and the idea that you use the core muscles would be great for obese users who can't walk or ride a bike.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com