Innovative Carbon Fiber Wheelchair Wins $1 Million Prize From Toyota

Innovative carbon fiber wheelchair wins $1 million prize from Toyota

Toyota Mobility announced a prize money winner in its international mobility competition that challenged people around the world to come up with solutions to improve the lives of folks with lower limb paralysis. Finalists from Japan, Italy, the U.K. and the U.S. were considered, but Phoenix Instinct from the U.K. ended up walking away with the $1 million prize money.

The winning product? An ultra-light carbon fiber wheelchair with some innovative features. It's called the Phoenix Instinct, and it aims to advance the generally stagnant wheelchair technology industry to make it easier and safer to use. The wheelchair uses a leveling system to automatically adjust its center of gravity and make it more stable/easier to maneuver. A power assist feature is implemented on the front wheels in an effort to reduce vibrations through the body. Finally, it uses an intelligent power braking system that can automatically detect when you're going downhill, then adjust the wheelchair's speed and manage its descent. 

2 Japanese Players Win Us Open Wheelchair Titles

2 Japanese players win US Open wheelchair titles

Two Japanese tennis players, Kunieda Shingo and Kamiji Yui, have won the wheelchair titles in the men's singles and the women's doubles competitions at the US Open, respectively.

World top-ranked Kunieda clinched the men's singles title for the first time in five years, beating third-ranked Alfie Hewett of Britain in the final on Sunday.

Japan Eyes Wheelchair-accessible Bullet Train

Japan eyes wheelchair-accessible bullet train

Japan's transport ministry will call on the operators of bullet train services to make their carriages more accessible for people using wheelchairs.

The ministry has decided to revise guidelines for public transportation, following discussions by a panel of officials from railway companies and advocacy groups for people with disabilities.

Sales Of Wheelchair Basketball Tickets Still On

Sales of wheelchair basketball tickets still on

The organizers of the Tokyo Paralympic Games say they will sell tickets for wheelchair basketball as planned despite a warning by the International Paralympic Committee that the sport could be removed from the Tokyo Games.

The IPC issued the warning on Friday, saying that the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation has failed to comply with the IPC athlete classification code.

Ipc Warns Of Exclusion Of Wheelchair Basketball

IPC warns of exclusion of wheelchair basketball

The International Paralympic Committee has warned that it may exclude wheelchair basketball from the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

The committee said on Friday that the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation has not complied with the rules regarding the classification of athletes' disabilities.