National Merit Recipients to Ride 'Autonomous Wheelchairs'

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Smart wheelchairs equipped with autonomous driving functions will be distributed for national veterans who were injured while protecting the country and have severe physical disabilities. Unlike conventional electric wheelchairs, autonomous smart wheelchairs can actively navigate by detecting pedestrians or obstacles with radar sensors attached to the front and rear and artificial intelligence (AI) sensors, allowing them to stop or avoid obstacles.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs plans to hold a demonstration of the 'Autonomous Smart Wheelchair' at the War Memorial in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The research and development of the autonomous smart wheelchair involved the Korea Institute of Robot Convergence (KIRO) and the private company ROVITEK.

At the demonstration, national veteran and Pyeongchang Paralympic ice hockey bronze medalist Lee Ji-hoon will showcase key functions such as moving to a destination, stopping in front of obstacles, and active navigation while riding the autonomous smart wheelchair.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs plans to complete the research and development of the autonomous smart wheelchair after usability evaluation and safety verification, and to pilot supply it to up to five national veterans by the end of the year. According to Article 43-2 of the Act on Honorable Treatment and Support of Persons, etc. of Distinguished Services to the State, assistive devices, medical devices, and medical aids may be provided to disabled national veterans to improve convenience in daily life.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.