LUCI’s smart wheelchair technology accessory represents breakthrough in wheelchair safety and connectivity
NASHVILLE, TN – Nov. 19, 2020 – Today, TIME has revealed its annual list of the 100 Best Inventions making the world better, smarter and even a bit more fun. Officials with LUCI, a company reimagining modern mobility through smart technology for power wheelchairs, are pleased to share that their initial product, also called LUCI, was included on the list here.
“This is an incredible honor, and one we would have never considered when my brother Jered and I started tinkering with my daughter’s wheelchair in the kitchen three years ago,” said Barry Dean, CEO of LUCI. “The most exciting part of being included in this list is having the opportunity to bring more attention and, hopefully, more innovation to the world of power wheelchair users. We’re thrilled LUCI is bringing safety, security and connectivity to my daughter Katherine, and we’re looking forward to offering these features – and more still to come – to people with disabilities across the country and beyond.”
For 2020’s list, TIME solicited nominations both from its editors and correspondents around the world and through an online application process. It then evaluated them on factors including originality, effectiveness, ambition and impact. The results: everything from a smarter beehive to a greener tube of toothpaste to the technology that could catalyze a COVID-19 vaccine.
LUCI’s hardware mounts onto a power wheelchair between the power base and the seat, to help users avoid collisions and dangerous drop-offs while maintaining personalized driving control. The patented sensor-fusion system combines data from cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar into a single, 360-degree view of the world, giving riders unprecedented independence and safety.
Additionally, through its cloud-based software capabilities and the MyLUCI app, which is available to users in the App Store and Google Play Store, LUCI can also monitor and alert users and caregivers to low battery, possible tipping scenarios, and other important updates regarding the chair and the user.
The company says the product is already in use in five states and will be offered in clinics across the country as early as next month.
See TIME’s full list, and the international cover featuring the 100 Best Inventions of 2020.
About LUCI: Based in Nashville, with R&D headquarters in Denver, LUCI was founded by Barry and Jered Dean, brothers who were driven to innovate from personal experience, and committed to create change for people living with disabilities.
Media Contact:
Ellis Metz
emetz@jarrardinc.com
865-805-0090
