The original WHILL was a clamp on device designed to power manual wheelchairs lacking an electric motor. Unfortunately, it turns out it will never see the light of day, but the design and technology behind that original concept have been repurposed for the futuristic Whill Type-A electric wheelchair that's actually now up for pre-order with an expected delivery of early next year.
A pair of raised telescoping arms provide a set of controls to steer and drive the wheelchair that can be operated with just one hand, and to make it easy to get in and out of the Type-A the seat automatically slides forward and back for improved access. Four wheel drive ensures the chair can traverse most urban terrains, and a clever segmented design on the front wheels lets them roll forward and back and side-to-side without pivoting.
Pricing details have yet to revealed, but the Type-A is available for pre-order now requiring a leap of faith that when the wheelchair is officially available sometime early next year, it won't be obscenely expensive when finally delivered. [Whill via Gizmag]
