Stephen Hawking Endorses Intel Wheelchair; Connected Wheelchair Designed to Take Biometric Information from User [PHOTO]

This past Tuesday, chipset-maker company Intel revealed its new connected wheelchair, which was endorsed by award-winning theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. According to Business Insider, Intel detailed the concept of the wheelchair in a recent press release, and will be showcasing it at the 2014 Intel Developer Conference in San Francisco.

Intel researchers stated, "A team of Intel engineering interns designed a custom platform that can transform standard wheelchairs into data driven, connected machines." The Verge explains that the wheelchair is designed to take biometric information from its user and display it on touch screens.

The device is able to measure the health of its user, including heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Furthermore, researchers said, "The [research] team also built an application that allows wheelchair users to map and rate the accessibility of locations, further enhancing the user experience," explaining the appeal of the wheelchair to the disabled.

According to the Verge, Stephen Hawking has been working with Intel for more than a decade, and said that the connected device was an ideal example of how the technology for the disabled is "often a proving ground for the technology of the future."  Hawking has relied on wheelchairs for much of his life. He has a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which has progressed over time. Currently, he is almost completely paralyzed and must communicate with others through a speech-generating device. Therefore, the connected wheelchair is of great use to him.

"Medicine can't cure me so I rely on technology," said Hawking in an Intel video. "It lets me interface with the world. It propels me; it is how I'm speaking to you now. It is necessary for me to live," he stated, highlighting the importance of technology in his life.

Lastly, Hawking explained, "A wheelchair user can now monitor important information about their health, the status of their wheelchair, and the accessibility of the place they visit, significantly improving their day to day life," further promoting the new design.