We've told you about a Bluetooth-enabled wristwatch that helps the elderly, a reader for the blind, and a paralyzed man who uses his own thoughts to operate a computer.

The next breakthrough in technology for assisted living is an intelligent wheelchair equipped with a Stereo Omnidirectional Camera system "whose 360-degree field of vision has no blind spot. Relying on the camera images, the chair detects potential hazards that arise while in motion and decelerates or stops accordingly." It was developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) with assistance from the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities.

I can only imagine how difficult electric wheelchairs can be to operate, but a "smart" wheelchair such as this one could help eliminate collisions or accidents from happening. The wheelchair also "checks the occupant for signs of abnormality (unusual posture) and is equipped with a function that allows the occupant to control the chair by gesturing (pointing)."

[Pink Tentacle via Ubergizmo]