Exmovere Holdings Inc. is developing a Segway-based upright mobility device that surrounds the user’s thighs, hips and legs in a kind of cocoon, called the Chariot.

The users hands, arms and chest remain free. Exmore states that this would position the vehicle as a direct competitor to existing sit-down mobility scooters marketed to obese, elderly and limited mobility persons.

As opposed to conventional wheelchairs and mobility scooters, the Chariot maintains the user in a standing position. Pretty handy for getting in faces, bellying up to the bar, or reaching those hard to get at items up there on the shelf.

“The Chariot is Exmovere Holdings Inc.’s starting point for further development for people who have a hard time standing or walking and for those people who must stand or walk long distances.”

Future Chariots will offer unique features such as: smart battery management and inductive charging, core body temperature monitoring, heating and cooling, dynamic stabilization on rough, sandy, uneven and wet terrain, wireless connectivity and GPS, and sonar and radar systems for visually impaired riders.

Quite the ambitious endeavor fueled by Exomore’s analysis of the number of wheelchair users, disabled veterans, and no doubt the tremendous amount of elbow room in the niche wheelchair markets.

It should be interesting to see where this goes. Regardless, it is nice to see new products that shoot for greater technological reach than what the existing industry players have to offer. The Chariot may make it as a marvel of wheelchair technology, but can it survive the funding issues, or rather, the lack of third party funding in a market that is heavily dependent on third party payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration, or the bevy of insurers.

On a personal level- I’m cheering for the Chariot. New technology is always a good thing and challenges the entire industry to reach for new heights. As for usefulness? I guess we will have to wait and see. As for third party funding? Except for possibly the Veterans Administration, ain’t a snowball’s chance in hell right now.