Swiss drone-assisted wheelchair showcases AI’s promise and problems

A wheelchair guided by artificial intelligence and drones is being developed by a Swiss-based research group to help enable people with disabilities to lead more independent lives and feel more included in society. But many technical, ethical and legal obstacles remain. Living a normal life, choosing where to live, being able to integrate into society: this is what people with disabilities in Switzerland are asking for in a popular initiative called 'for inclusion'. Organisers say that the 1.7 million disabled people in the Alpine country remain deprived of the basic rights that those without disabilities enjoy, such as freedom of movement. Researchers at multiple Swiss and international universities are working on solving the issue through technology. One such award-winning project aims to develop drone-assisted self-driving wheelchairs. “We are optimistic that our solution will enable people with physical and sensory disabilities to move around independently, without being ...