News.

Advances in wheelchair technology

Japanese researchers
stepping it up

By Eric Wilkins,
Staff Writer

heelchair users

have long been
plagued by simple tasks
such as maneuvering
out of tight spaces
or climbing stairs.
However, thanks to a
team of researchers from
the Chiba Institute of
Technology in Japan,
such struggles may soon
be rendered obsolete.

The technology

makes use of a four-

wheel drive and an
advanced detection sys-
tem to provide a smooth
experience for the rider.
When the chair encoun-
ters a step, it progresses
by “walking.” By utiliz-
ing its wheels as legs,
lifting and advancing one
wheel and then the other,
while the back wheels
serve as stabilizers and
then repeat the action, the
chair effectively elimi-
nates a historical
impediment to
wheelchair users.

“The robot has five
sensors on its feet, to
see if there’s anything
nearby,” explained Shuro

Nakajima, an associate
professor at the Institute
and the leader for the
project. “If a sensor
detects a step, the robot
calculates whether it
can lift that leg. It can’t
raise its wheels right
away, so the steering
system at the rear makes
preparatory motions

to gain stability.”

By realigning the con-
figuration of its wheels
and deploying supports
to the side, the chair can
also perform a 180-degree
turn, allowing the user to
go in reverse safely and
comfortably instead of
blindly backing up like a

conventional wheelchair.
In addition to this, when
the technology encoun-
ters a slope on one side of
it, it simply matches the
incline with that side’s
wheels and proceeds as if
it were on level ground.
A downside of
the chair could be the
awkward angles that
the operator has to deal
with while the unit
tackles various obstacles.
However, the research
team covered that too.
Thanks again to its
sensors, the chair’s seat
is constantly adjusted
throughout the motions
of the unit so that the

Infighting with the BC Conservative party

15 disciplinary letters
are sent to various
members

By Anne Marie
Abraham, Contributor

ast week, 15

members of the BC
Conservative Party were
sent disciplinary letters

from the party president,

Al Siebring, for violating
the processes in the par-
ty’s bylaws from Section
11.04. The members
were accused of making
public calls demanding
a resignation from John
Cummins not long after
the meeting took place.
The letters included the
terminations of some
members, while others
were letters of censure.
At the BC
Conservative party’s
annual general meeting
last month, a vote was
held that threatened the
position party leader,
John Cummins. The

4

opponents within the
party were unsatisfied
with the party’s perfor-
mance in two spring
by-elections. At 70.1 per
cent, Cummins won the
vote and retained his
role as party leader.
Cummins warned
the dissidents at the end
of the meeting to “get in
line or leave the party.”
In retaliation, the dis-
sidents demanded that
Cummins step down as
party leader. They argued
Cummins’ suitability for
leading the party into
the May 2013 election.
The consequences of
the meeting led John
van Dongen, the party’s

66

only sitting member
of the legislature, to
quit the party and to
sit as an independent.

As aresult, the Board
of the BC Conservative
Party passed two motions

to ensure the same viola-
tions would not occur
a second time. The first
motion was to build a
“Unity Committee.”
This Committee will
move towards the
improvement of their
internal processes. The
party is looking for
more communication
between the members,
the Constituency
Association Presidents,
and the Boards. The
intent is for the party
to function together.
Vice-President
Christine Clarke and
Director Dennis Brooks
are expected to be part
of the Committee, with

Director Daniel Brooks
acting as chairman.

The second motion
is to express the party’s
“full confidence and
support for John
Cumunins as the Leader

of the BC Conservative
Party heading into the
May 2013 election.”
Allison Patton, a
former Constituency
Association President in
Surrey, sent out photos
of herself with a framed

Cummins warned the dissidents at the end of
the meeting to ‘get in line or leave the party.

copy of her expulsion
letter in hand. She claims
that she is ignorant as

to why she has been
branded a dissident.
Patton, along witha
fellow dissident, Ariane

rider can remain ina
relaxed, level position.

Nakajima stressed
that the unit is likely
still some time away
from public use, but
is coming along.

“For now, we’re
presenting this system
and form as a concept,
and the motion has
mostly been worked
out,” said Nakajima.
“So, we're at the stage
where we can show this
robot to the world. In the
next phase, we’ll get a
variety of people to try
it, so we can fine-tune
the user experience.”

 

John Cummins
Photo courtesy of Surrey NOW

Eckardt, will challenge

Leader John Cummins in

a debate if the call for a

“Truth and Reconciliation

Committee” is ignored.

Patton has given the

party seven days

to make a “Truth

and Reconciliation

Comunittee” or

accept the debate.
Arecent Angus

Reid poll was released

last Friday. The results

showed that support

for the Conservative

Party had fallen from

19 to 16 per cent.