William jokes pioneering mobility scooter is not fast enough for him

The Prince of Wales tested a three-wheeled mobility scooter which uses unique self-stabilising robotic technology during a visit to an academic centre for robotics research in Bristol.

William visited the Bristol Robotics Lab on Thursday where he was shown how technology is being developed to support the ageing and disabled population maintain mental and physical wellbeing.

He was shown three products: body braces developed by VIVO, aimed at enhancing independent living, Supersmith mobility scooters, and SmartSocks created by Milbotix, which track health data such as heart rate.

William tried out a prototype for the Supersmith’s 3Scooter, which is set to launch in the spring, and joked with its creators that its 4mph maximum speed was not fast enough for him.

Tom Morgan, chief executive and co-founder of Supersmith, came up with the design for the mobility scooter with his sister in mind.

She lives with multiple sclerosis and has suffered from technology which did not fully meet her needs.

Mr Morgan said: “Three wheels are better than four, and the reason being is that you can move very quickly and in short, tight spaces with three wheels, which you cannot do with four.

“And so our vehicle is for indoor and outdoor use. It helps you get through crowds, it’s lighter and it’s more compact. And so three wheels have great advantages.”

He continued: “The problem is that three wheels typically tip, and so what we’ve done is developed this robotic patented technology that when you’re going around corners, it will gently lean you into the turn.

“And when you’re going over uneven ground or on a camber, which would typically tip you off, it helps keep you perfectly upright and stable and safe.”

The Bristol Robotics Lab is a joint initiative between the University of Bristol and the University of West England (UWE), based at its Frenchay Campus.

With more than 500 academics, researchers, students and entrepreneurs, the centre is the birthplace to a range of robotic technologies.

Professor Darren Reynolds, pro-vice chancellor for research and knowledge exchange at UWE Bristol said: “These start-ups are addressing societal challenges that will improve people’s lives and power our economy.

“Prince William has seen first-hand our thriving community of tech-minded and solutions-focused entrepreneurs and researchers, reimagining tomorrow through robotics and the power of AI.”