Tag: independence

OGO MAKES A WORLD DIFFERENCE

Kevin and Marcus pose with their invention. The Ogo production came from the most humble and altruistic of origination.

OGO has arrived in America. With its origination and invention in New Zealand, it has now made it to America with ten agents. Worldwide, OGO now has 22 agents in six countries: New Zealand, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Europe.

I have been following the development of the mobility devices for some time. What I have found is that there are many out there but, Ogo is one at the top of the list in terms of its unique design and attention to detail. With the active seat control system and joystick options, it will provide the sitting community with a hands free experience over all terrains and precise movement in tight areas.

The work the Ogo team has put in has won them the Innovate award in 2017 and the Innovation Award for Design and Engineering in New Zealand in 2016. With their first production run in the fall of 2016, the Ogo will provide a New level of Independence for the sitting community, and greatly improve the quality of life for many.

og: image
Kevin and Marcus pose with their invention. The Ogo production came from the most humble and altruistic of origination.

Kevin and Marcus met when Marcus was teaching Kevin’s daughters at Otaki College. They found that they both shared a love of field archery, and it was over this common passion that their friendship really grew. Their local Kapiti Archery Club offers a particularly unique experience, incorporating native bush trails and other forested areas as well as open grassland.

Kevin saw that Marcus, a paraplegic since 2003, struggling through the rough terrain in his conventional wheelchair, sapping his energy and stamina. Just wanting to make it easier for Marcus, Kevin, a product design engineer, set himself a challenge; to develop a device that would increase Marcus’ mobility and give him freedom of movement so that he could compete as an equal.

Kevin’s extensive research led him to proven, self-balancing technology. Through several years of development while still doing design work for his regular clients, Kevin has utilized this technology to create an active, moving seat control system. Using upper body mobility or core muscle strength, the driver can lean forward and the Ogo moves forward, when he or she leans back the Ogo stops or reverses. When they lean to the side, the Ogo moves in the new direction – including turning on its own axis.

Kevin has overseen three major prototype designs, making changes as he came to understand the restrictions that comes with limited movement and mobility. Marcus, who has a background in engineering, has been our eager test pilot from the beginning. He has been pushing the Ogo to it’s limits, providing Kevin with valuable feedback on performance and design ideas.

Many folks with varying abilities and disabilities have tested the Ogo with instant delight. Just look at their smiles in our videos. A smile of new possibilities, freedom, independence, job and recreation opportunities.

Here are some more images:

Marcus on the Ogo…
Ogo Comes to the Western US!

Our testing so far has been very emotional and rewarding. We have met so many wonderful and determined people and our team has been really impressed with how the technology works for differing levels of ability. Early on in our testing phase we realized that with a few design tweaks, it can help many, many others. Now, with our final prototype, we are excited to have the ultimate machine for production in 2017.

It doesn’t stop with the Ogo! The more he gets immersed into the world of personal mobility the more Kevin realized how under-catered it is. This has given him more innovative ideas to help change people’s lives. Kevin aims to develop these ideas by creating a range of other products and accessories to make life easier and more exciting in the world of mobility.

Here is a picture of the present Ogo team:

The production team…

From a personal and involved perspective, I support this incredible venture. In fact, I was invited to meet Kevin and Marcus in Los Angeles. Although, the trek was most arduous, it was successful. I thank Gretchen Ryan, the California agent for Ogo, for completing this process to become part of the Ogo technology revolution. In continued contact, she has been most accommodating. I look forward to further contact.

The future is brighter for those who are mobility-challenged, thanks to OGO technology.

Written By: Larry Hollenbeck – Universal Digest Contributor

UNIVERSAL DIGEST is pleased to be a conduit for our contributing authors. This article was produced being mostly unedited. We do not claim credit, we simply want to make it more available to the general public.

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Happy Earth Independence Day!

US Flag SLS Flyby

HAPPY EARTH INDEPENDENCE DAY!

On Monday, the United States celebrated the Fourth of July. Fireworks and backyard grills were ignited across the country. A couple hundred miles above us, the International Space Station orbited earth with two spacecraft attached to it.

What do these two things have in common? It is a quest for independence. The Fourth of July, of course, is the United States’ Independence Day, celebrating the anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence, announcing that the former colonies were becoming a sovereign nation. This quest has been achieved and another is about to occur!

Work is progressing rapidly in preparation so this artist's concept can become a reality.
Work is progressing rapidly in preparation so this artist’s concept can become a reality.

The International Space Station is an early, but prominent step in NASA’s effort to achieve “Earth independence” in human deep-space exploration, a key part of our Journey to Mars. On the station, we are learning how to live off the Earth by conducting investigations to learn how the human body adapts to space and testing new technologies needed for longer missions. However, the two spacecraft docked to the space station demonstrate that our human spaceflight operations today are “Earth dependent.” While astronauts float freely in the microgravity aboard the station, they remain tethered to our planet by a supply chain of provisions needed to survive. Deliveries of food, science experiments, spare parts and gifts from home arrive and depart by spacecraft on a regularly scheduled basis. Earlier this year, the number of docked spacecraft reached six: American Dragon and Cygnus cargo ships, and Russian Progress cargo ships and Soyuz crew vehicles. Should something go wrong, the return to Earth is only a short distance away.

A Dragon capsule is being berthed to the International Space Station

American Dragon and Cygnus spacecraft can be seen here at the International Space Station, joining Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles.

In order to travel to Mars, astronauts will have to survive without that tether. When they depart Earth, they will sail into the void of space without the comfort of frequent visits from resupply ships. They will have no quick return; should something break or go wrong, Earth is potentially more than a year away. These pioneers will rely on themselves and what they have with them, or what has been sent ahead. They will be the first to be independent of our home planet, with both the freedom and responsibility that carries with it.

Significant challenges await us as we move from Earth dependence into Earth independence, learning to operate in space in a way we never have before. To accomplish this, we will carry out “proving ground” missions – missions where we will, innovate, test, and validate new systems and capabilities that will help us learn to live longer and farther away from home. The first launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew vehicle will mark our entry into this proving ground era, relying on new systems farther from Earth than any human spaceflight mission has ever ventured. SLS and Orion will allow us to launch habitats and other equipment that will support the first astronauts to not only visit, but to live in deep space around and beyond our moon.

A spacecraft approaches Mars and its moons

Astronauts in deep space will need to be able to survive without frequent resupply missions from Earth or being able to return quickly to Earth.

When we have demonstrated the ability to live and thrive in deep space, the time will come for the first mission to leave the neighborhood of the Earth and moon and extend human existence into the solar system, a mission that will not only be a major step toward human landings on Mars but will be our declaration of Earth-independence.

In that moment, the word “Independence” will designate the time when humankind became an interplanetary species.

Get the grills and fireworks ready, because that will be an occasion to celebrate.

Next Time: A Real-World Space Lesson

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UNIVERSAL DIGEST is pleased to be a conduit for some of NASA’s projects and work. This article and some others were written by NASA and are mostly unedited. We do not claim credit, we simply want to make them more available to the general public.

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