Wild Wheelchair Designs

Designers are rethinking the wheelchair in exciting new ways. (Now if only someone would design a system where people who need innovative wheelchairs could easily afford them!)

By Kelly Rouba

If you use a wheelchair, chances are you’ve wished that it looked a bit more stylish and a lot less like medical equipment. Perhaps you’ve even gone one step further, like Amanda Baker, and imagined exactly what you’d want as your ideal wheelchair.

“My perfect chair would be safe with built-in reflectors all the way around, tires that would be able to go through more than an inch or two of dirt without getting stuck, and built-in places for transport tie-downs,” said Baker, who has cerebral palsy and resides in Panama City, Florida.

“I’d also like a chair with a long battery life and a chair that is electric, yet easy to take apart and transport. The chair would have a smaller, controllable turning radius and fit under standard tables without putting me several inches away from reaching.”

Like Baker, many individuals who use wheelchairs are also in search of that elusive wheelchair that is easily transportable, yet has a long battery life. And while light-weight, portable scooters do exist, they can only go a few miles before needing to be recharged. Unfortunately, “this whole industry is about trade off,” said Ziggi Landsman, vice president of Assistive Technology for the United Spinal Association.

Off Road Otto Bock C2000

There is hope and it can be found through the United Spinal Association’s www.usatechguide.org/ and its Wheelchair Diffusion blog. On this site, visitors will find details on most of the wheelchairs out there today so they can determine which model best suits their needs. The site also features information on a number of new and improved wheelchairs soon to hit the market or in the design phase.

One wheelchair that recently came out is called the Off Road Otto Bock C2000. This power wheelchair, which can travel up to 60 km (about 37 miles) at speeds of up to 15 km/h, has rear wheel chain steering and the option of front or rear drive. The wheelchair can also transverse small curbs and has an integrated lighting system. In addition, the seat can raise as much as 40 cm (almost 16 inches) and tilt backwards.

“The C2000 is a strong move toward real world powered wheelchairs that integrate personal wheeled technology into the user’s lifestyle as opposed to a wheelchair user having to adjust to the use limitations of a powered wheelchair,”

Landsman said. “The combination of indoor and outdoor features, such as suspension, precision steering, and obstacle/curb climbing capabilities, go a long way in having a wheelchair user live life their way instead of their wheelchair’s way.”

Eco-Friendly MIO

Landsman also pointed out a wheelchair prototype on the website that was designed by Suzuki. Called the MIO, the device has been deemed “green” (or ecofriendly) because it relies on fuel cell technology, which derives its power from methanol.

According to the website, the wheelchair—which Landsman likens to a mobility scooter—can travel up to 25 miles and has a backup battery to provide electricity in case the tank became empty.

“The wheelchair is…powered by electricity as opposed to a car, which burns fossil fuels,” Landsman said. “It’s an easier to live with, longer-range (wheelchair)—you go further. It has extended distance. It’s just generally a cleaner, highpower (wheelchair and it’s) more dependable than battery power.”

Although Suzuki is waiting to see how the MIO is received before it’s officially put into production, Landsman said it could be the wave of the future. “Being as they run on fuel cells, they will probably change the way a lot of the wheelchairs look.”

Trekinetic All-Terrain

One manually-operated wheelchair that is currently on the market is manufactured by Trekinetic, which designs all-terrain wheelchairs known for their off-road ability. These wheelchairs have shock absorbers, high-performance brakes, and two thick tires with treads. There is also a rear trailing castor for added stability, and each wheelchair can be folded. For more details, visit www.trekinetic.co.uk

Those who are able to manually push themselves in a wheelchair or who rely on someone else to do so might be intrigued by pictures of the Transformable Wheelchair, which are featured below the MIO on the website.

According to the website, the wheelchair is made from a strong plastic and elastic. It was designed by Caspar Schmitz and has wheels that “can convert to an ellipsoid structure by applying pressure vertically on the handlebar,” thereby allowing the user to go up or down stairs.

However, Landsman is not sure what has become of this design. “These things come and go quickly depending on funding and grants. Going from a concept to a working prototype is a quantum leap in dollars and most die there. Grants are tough to get especially when the item appears to be a niche wheelchair that may not be perceived as being of benefit to a large population.”

Below the Transformable Wheelchair, visitors to USA Tech Guide will find a picture of the Elevating Wheelchair. Created by a student named Jake Eddie, users can sit or stand in this electric wheelchair. The design is not currently on the market and Landsman is not sure what the future holds for it.

“The need to stand is recognized by users and clinicians for various reasons, but the need to rise upright from a wheelchair platform is something that wheelchair funders have not supported in the past,” Landsman said. “They see the wheelchair as a mobility device and the need to stand as a therapeutic treatment, but they will not mix the two.”

Exmovere’s Chariot

Exmovere Holdings Inc. developed a similar device called the Chariot, in which the user remains standing at all times. Landsman refers to the Chariot as being very futuristic. “What you’re seeing lately is a lot of attempts at using Segway technology,” he noted.

According to the company, the device is meant for those who have difficulty walking or are unable to walk long distances. In the future, they expect to add more features to the device, like a GPS, a heating and cooling system, dynamic stabilization (for areas with uneven terrain), and sonar and radar systems for those with visual impairments.

Robot Chairs

Another interesting wheelchair that may someday hit the market is being developed by John Spletzer, an associate professor with Lehigh University’s Computer Science and Engineering Department and director of its Vision, Assistive Devices, and Experimental Robotics (VADER) Laboratory. A recipient of a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, Spletzer has been tasked with designing a robotic wheelchair that can navigate on its own— a device that would be of huge benefit to those with visual impairments or limited mobility in their hands. To be able to self-navigate, the wheelchair utilizes a database of maps containing locations or landmarks and sensors that recognize the landmarks. Spletzer has also implemented a lowcost light detection and ranging laser in the wheelchair, which will help it to avoid hitting objects.

The Panasonic Corporation also recently developed a robotic device that can be utilized as both a bed and a wheelchair. The purpose of the device is to promote independence and reduce the risk of injuries by reducing a person’s need to transfer. Called the Robotic Bed, the device also has system in place that enables it to detect and avoid colliding with obstacles in its path.

According to Landsman, Spletzer and Panasonic are not the only ones considering how robotics can be used to enhance wheelchairs. “Toyota and many other companies have branched off and taken their Robotics Division and are starting to play around with…robotic wheelchairs. Some are mind-controlled. Some are GPS guided. Some are controlled with a number of sensors and computerized commands and other advanced technologies.”

The Finance Question

“Then, of course what happens, most of this stuff never gets to the second stage or even the first stage of development or anything because it turns out they are not real practical for a large number of people,” Landsman says.

Presently, most wheelchair manufacturers only make “refinements on 30-year-old technology,” Landsman added. “The manufacture is very marketconscious. They’re going to produce what will sell, but what will be funded.”

“Keep in mind that the American wheelchair industry is not a big supporter in the way of grants or supporting new development. Their focus is similar to other producers in that they prefer mass appeal items or wheelchairs that can or will be funded by third party payers— Medicare, Medicaid, etc. Specialty wheelchairs have almost no chance of being third party funded.” Johnson & Johnson’s iBOT wheelchair is but one example.

“That did not get funding. Medicare wouldn’t pay for it. Medicaid wouldn’t pay for it. The Veteran’s Administration bought a few,” Landsman said.

Those who can afford to pay out-of-pocket for wheelchairs are a select few. “The last figures I saw is somewhere around 75 percent of all wheelchairs sold in this country are paid by third parties— Medicare, Medicaid, the Veteran’s Administration, insurance…that whole group of funders—and that’s getting real tight.”

But those like Baker still have faith that someday that perfect wheelchair will be available for them.

While “most concept wheelchairs and prototypes never make it to commercialization…the benefit is that the technology or elements of the technologies that were developed for these units may wind up being utilized in the development of future wheelchairs by different developers who borrow the technology,” Landsman said, adding “Their technology, if usable, reliable, and when made cost-effective, may ultimately find its way into commercialized wheelchair production.”

Kelly Rouba is a frequent contributor to Action.