Prince William checks out innovative mobiity scooter with robotic stabilisation system
Prince William yesterday visited the Bristol Robotics Laboratory to ride a lightweight mobility scooter from local start-up Supersmith, which is using robotic technology to revolutionise scooter safety and design.
An estimated 6.3 million people in the UK experience walking difficulty, yet disabled people make 38 per cent fewer journeys than non-disabled people – often because mobility scooters are stigmatised, unsafe, or poorly designed.
Founded by engineers Tom and Emily Morgan and robotics expert Dr Fred Russell-Pavier, Supersmith spent seven years developing the 3Scooter, inspired by their own family experiences of disability.
First showcased at a special event in Bristol last year, the 3Scooter is expected to be launched onto the UK market later this year.
Its design is anchored in a patented stabilisation system that enables users to go places that a traditional three or four wheeled scooter might not handle. It can take on slopes, turns, uneven cambers or surfaces and drop curbs where a traditional mobility scooter would most likely tip over. 
Dr Fred Russell‑Pavier, who has a background in robotics and a PhD in physics, took the lead in developing the scooter based on user feedback.
Fred said; “Motivation and ambition have never been the barrier for Supersmith’s customers in the past. It’s been the lack of suitable tools and technology to navigate the built environment they are faced with day to day, which is thoroughly inaccessible. The world just expects the individual to adapt to it, which is often not easy or even possible.
“We know this because community engagement and user-led design have been at the heart of the design and development of the 3Scooter. To date, I’ve spent time with every person that has had the unique experience of driving the 3Scooter, captured all comments and feedback, and fed that into our process.
“As such we met many of our initial customers that have been part of this development journey of our prototypes going back to 2023.”
The 3Scooter uses EverLevel, a patented, robotic stabilisation system that actively responds to uneven ground to help maintain balance.
It seats riders significantly higher than traditional models, allowing them to remain at eye level in conversations and feel less socially excluded whilst also seeing more easily through crowds and over parked cars.
Lightweight and foldable, it is designed for both indoor and outdoor use. These are features that came directly from working with users throughout development.
The product has already won several accolades: Royal College of Art funding through the Design Age Institute, funding from West of England Combined Authority; start up support through SetSquared Bristol, Bristol Robotics Lab Hardware Incubator and the Natwest Accelerator Programme, and industrial design by the award winning agency Seymour Powell.
Recently Supersmith received National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) funding working alongside Wheels for Wellbeing and TRL to define how shared transport schemes can be made accessible.
The company is careful to avoid presenting the scooter as risk-free.
“No mobility aid can remove risk entirely,” said Tom. “But people deserve equipment that actively works with them, rather than leaving them to navigate uneven pavements, drop curbs and cambers alone.
“The sensation of a 3Scooter is unique – it feels like you are floating across the surface – and is novel even for experienced mobility scooter riders, so we encourage all our customers to try it first when test ride experiences are available.”
With certification in its final stages, Supersmith plans a phased UK rollout, beginning with supervised test rides in Bristol before wider availability.
The 3Scooter is expected to retail from £2,995 (with VAT exemption) and will be classed as a medical device. There will only be a small number available in 2026 with the focus on delivering a great service. Those interested can find out more info and sign up to be first to hear about test rides here.
