WHILL NEXT, autonomous mobile system, electric wheelchair, Panasonic Corporation, Kadoma, Osaka, Japan

This electric wheelchair, WHILL NEXT, can move autonomously after users give it a destination via a smartphone application. In addition, this electric wheelchair allows multiple units to travel in a single file line. The proprietary technology in the WHILL NEXT also can link to sensor-equipped luggage carts that automatically follow the wheelchair without getting lost. Designed for crowded areas such as airports, it is equipped with image recognition technology, self-position sensors, and obstacle-detecting safety sensors, so it can move autonomously and safely even in a crowd. After unloading the luggage at the destination, the cart will automatically return to the next customer.

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Public Testing of Information Universal Design begins at Haneda Airport
Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation (TIAT), Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. (JAT), Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) and Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic; Head Office: Kadoma, Osaka; President: Kazuhiro Tsuga) will begin public testing of information universal design initiatives.

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WHILL is bringing to life new technology and services to improve the movement of people in large venues, such as airports, theme parks and hospitals, to “last-mile” transportation--allowing everyone to move smarter and freer, wherever their heart desires. It is an exciting evolution in personal mobility.

Unveiled at CES 2019, the WHILL Autonomous Drive System and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) business received the CES 2019 Best of Innovation Award in Accessibility Technology.

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ANA and Panasonic partner to test self-driving electric wheelchairs at Narita Airport

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