Shabbas Scooter ?

Bridgeport Township-based Amigo Mobility International Inc. has devised a scooter that will give Orthodox Jews, forbidden by faith from turning on electrical devices on the Sabbas, wheels on the holy day.

The "Shabbas" scooter is specially designed to keep users from switching circuits on or off. Instead, the Amigo powers up and starts moving on its own when put into Sabbath mode.

Officials estimate a market of about 800,000 Orthodox Jews in the United States and Israel.

Here's how the Shabbas Amigo operates: By switching the scooter into Sabbath mode, the user activates a timer that automatically sets the chair in motion.
The user may put the chair in reverse by flipping another switch, which again triggers a timing mechanism and changes the scooter's direction. In each case, the timer takes about 20 seconds to engage.

Consistent with Jewish law, the scooter uses no headlight on the holy day. Designers plan to create an LED headlight that would provide light and yet satisfy the requirement.


The scooters, which took about a year to develop, cost about $3,500 apiece. A traditional Amigo would cost about $1,100 less.