Deconstructing Product Design

iBOT Mobility System

DEKA Research and Development, 2001

1. On rare occasion, a product comes along that addresses deep user needs — needs that users themselves would be unable to articulate if asked — and in so doing radically redefines the norms and expectations for a product category. The iBOT, ancestor to the Segway, is one such product. With its ability to raise occupants to standing eye level, climb stairs, and traverse rough terrain, the iBOT redefined what a wheelchair can and should be. How did iBOT designers attain such a deep understanding of the needs of the wheelchair bound? Dean Kamen comments: “I try to understand the basic laws of nature. Beyond this, I do very little research as to what the product should be. You would never ...