Click through the photos to get a tour of technology in various stages of development aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities. You'll notice most of the technology comes from Japan, which is becoming one of the oldest countries in the world yet has a shortage of care workers.

Product: Toyota Mind Control Wheelchair Prototype
How It Improves Mobility: Developed by researchers at Riken and Toyota, the machine uses a Brain Machine Interface (BMI) system to read brain waves in order to control smooth left and right turns, as well as forward and reverse turning. A mind control wheelchair makes a lot of sense.
Stage of Development Prototype.

Photo Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images

Product: Panasonic Home Bed/Wheelchair Combo
How It Improves Mobility: This improves mobility and independence by offering a bed that transforms into a wheelchair, removing the need to have assistance going from chair-to-bed and risking an injury.
Stage of Development Close to production.

Photo Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images

Product: Echicgo Wasuke
How It Improves Mobility: By allowing up to one-third of the wheel to detach this chair provides better ingress and egress. This is made possible by stronger and lighter weight plastics and metals.
Stage of Development On sale this year.

Photo Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images

Product: Honda Freed Van
How It Improves Mobility: Typically, wheelchair-accessible vans are conversions of larger truck-based vehicles. The conversions increase the size, weight and cost of the base vehicle and are not a great choice for urban areas. The Freed is a smaller vehicle with a lower floor that incorporates the wheelchair mode into its design up-front. This reduces the complexity, price and size of a wheelchair van.
Stage of Development A version is already on sale, the new version on sale soon in Japan.

Product: Quickie Match Point Wheelchair
How It Improves Mobility: Athletic wheelchairs have continued to advance beyond the lighter-weight racing chairs developed years ago. This tennis version is designed to allow the user to switch directions by switching weight without risking a tip-over and was used in the U.S. Open this year. Using materials and technology developed for automobiles and other consumer products Quickie has dramatically improved the maneuverability of players.
Stage of Development On sale now.

Product: Honda Walking Assist Devices
How It Improves Mobility: Not everyone needs a wheelchair, but walkers are not a great solution as they limit how fast and how easily someone can travel. We tested the Honda Walking Assist device and found, though a bit awkward, adds significantly to the ease of getting around.
Stage of Development Advanced prototype.

Product: Nissan Elderly Simulation Suit
How It Improves Mobility: There are still many senior citizens who have the mental facilities to operate a motor vehicle but find some of the controls hard to operate. Nissan engineers have been using a suit designed to mimic the limitations of age so younger designers can create controls more usable for an elderly population.
Stage of Development In use, undergoing further development.

Product: Porsche Design Pegasus
How It Improves Mobility: Most wheelchair users don't consider themselves any less able than anyone else, but the world was not designed with their needs in mind. The Pegasus helps bring users up to the level of their surroundings with a Segway-style motivation if necessary.
Stage of Development Early prototype.

Product: Robot for Interactive Body Assistance (RIBA)
How It Improves Mobility: The giant scary bear makes up for the lack of care workers by lifting patients from their chairs and into the bed through voice commands. The teddy bear face is to make people feel better about the robot but it freaks us out a little.
Stage of Development Planned for market in the next five years.

Product: Honda FRANZ
How It Improves Mobility: This system allows those with limited capabilities to use their feet or hands to control activities like shifting, steering and acceleration.
Stage of Development In the market, undergoing improved development.

Like it or not, everybody gets old, and rather than live with the status quo of nerdy old Hoveround or God forbid un-powered fold-up wheelchairs, here's an entry from Japan that's both visually interesting (well, as much as possible, we're talking about tarted-up wheelchairs) and has improved ergonomics.

The Rodem M-1 can be easily approached with a forward facing high-mounted seat, which is apparently easier to get into than a traditional chair, and once moving gets up to a scalding 2 MPH and lasts four hours on a charge. The wheeled jet ski looks set it apart from it's competition more than anything and should prove a solid basis upon which aging grease monkeys will ply their trade. Prices start at $5,300 to $7,500, but that won't take into account hopped up batteries, bigger motors, higher-powered controllers and the oh-so-important big-farad capacitors for those nitrous-like bursts of speed. [GreenLaunches]

The researchers integrated this system into a Chrysler minivan and it has proved to be successful 97 percent of the time including in difficult situations like on gravel and in the rain. [New Scientist]

Local man goes for the ride of his life [Wood TV]

Related:
Best. Wheelchair. Ever. [internal]

The Coolhunter bagged some new prey, a minicar designed for people in wheelchairs. It's the Hungarian-designed Kenguru, and we'd have sworn we'd already posted on it — but there's no record to confirm we've got more than a minor case of d j vu. The driver simply wheels up into it, locks in place, grabs the joystick and goes — no lifting, no hassles. If Robert T. Ironside had one of these, he totally would have gotten Eve Whitfield. Not even a doubt.

Hot Wheels for Wheelchair Users [The Coolhunter]

Related:
Best. Wheelchair. Ever. [internal]

...they have videos of the TankChair in action. There's also the story of the TankChair's inventor, who was inspired when his wife couldn't enjoy nature with the rest of the family. Truly a heartwarming story. Not that it matters. We'd want a TankChair if it required a constant supply of fresh kittens to keep running.

Welcome to TankChair [TankChair.com]

Related:
Get Your Motorized Wheelchair Runnin': The Martin Conquest [internal]