Centaur has been awarded a grant from Open London Accelarator

Centaur Robotics has been awarded a grant to trial its Centaur-as-a-Service scheme at a top London venue.

The service will enable people with limited mobility to participate in events, gatherings and cultural experiences that they might otherwise be unable to attend.

The iconic Centaur chair will be at the heart of the service. It is designed to look good, instilling a sense of pride and inclusion for the user. It also negotiates narrow spaces, is easy to operate and can lift the rider to eye level. This allows them to be part of the conversation and enjoy a day out without the worry of ‘museum fatigue’, a tiring condition which affects anyone spending too long wandering around exhibitions.

The service is aimed particularly at those who may not need a wheelchair all of the time but struggle to walk more than 400 metres without help. It will also allow families to enjoy more time together in large public spaces.

As part of the Open London Accelerator, the grant for the trial was awarded to SMEs addressing key challenges such as health and wellbeing, social care, and transport.

It was supported by the Mayor of London and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The venue hosting the Centaur-as-a-Service trial will be announced shortly.

This latest award joins Centaur Robotics growing list of accolades, reaffirming the Centaur’s potential to change lives by enhancing connection and socialisation.

The Centaur won the Microsoft-sponsored ‘Inclusive Guest Innovation’ competition at the Blue Badge Access Awards in 2022 and has been the centre-piece in exhibitions at the V&A Dundee and London’s Design Museum. The Centaur’s potential to help travellers negotiate busy airports was recognised in Dubai when it was an Aviation X Lab finalist.