Some inventions are meant to push the boundaries of technology, while others are built to break the barriers people face every day. This remarkable all-terrain robotic mobility chair belongs to the latter category. Designed by YouTuber Jake Laser for his father, who has lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 20 years, the project is a powerful reminder that engineering can be an act of love as much as innovation.
Living with MS had gradually taken away many of the experiences Jake’s father once enjoyed. Simple obstacles such as stairs, rocky trails, steep hills, or uneven paths became impossible to cross in a conventional wheelchair. Rather than accepting those limitations, Jake set out to create a machine capable of taking his father where ordinary mobility aids simply could not.
Designer: Jake Laser
Instead of designing a robotic platform from scratch, Jake modified a sophisticated industrial quadruped robot from Unitree. The robot already featured an unusual hybrid design, combining powered wheels with articulated legs. On smooth ground, it rolls efficiently like a wheeled vehicle, while on rough terrain it engages its walking capabilities, allowing it to climb stairs, step over obstacles, and navigate rocky landscapes with impressive stability.
Transforming the industrial robot into a rideable mobility device required extensive engineering. After experimenting with multiple seating positions, Jake mounted a racing bucket seat directly over the robot’s spine, positioning the rider’s legs forward to ensure the robotic legs could move freely underneath. A heavy-duty safety harness was added to keep the rider secure, while the software controlling the robot’s balance system had to be recalibrated to compensate for the constantly shifting weight of a human passenger. This allowed the robot’s sensors and motors to maintain stability even while walking across difficult terrain. A wireless dual-joystick controller gives the rider full control over movement, including driving, rotating, strafing, and adjusting the robot’s height for easier entry and exit.
Jake also wanted the machine to feel something his father could proudly call his own. Inspired by elegant 1940s Bugatti automobiles, he added curved body panels, carbon-fiber accents, chrome-style headlights, LED underbody lighting, and custom spinner wheel covers. The result is a futuristic personal vehicle that blends cutting-edge robotics with timeless automotive styling. Before allowing his father to ride it, Jake subjected the robot to demanding tests. It climbed tall ledges, crossed ladders, navigated full flights of stairs, and traversed rocky riverbeds without losing balance. Only after proving its reliability did his father climb aboard. The experience was deeply emotional. For the first time in more than two decades, he was able to visit places that had long been inaccessible, exploring trails and landscapes that had become distant memories. Jake did far more than build a remarkable robot; he gave his father the freedom to make new memories where wheelchairs had once reached their limit!
