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New
Options
 Power Assisted
Manual Wheel Pushing
Power Assist
is a new technology now available which offers hybrid or “cross-over” products,
positioned in the marketplace between traditional manual chairs
and power
wheelchairs. The power-assist
systems are equipped with specialized wheels (replacing the
larger rear wheel in a manual wheelchair) which incorporate built-in
motors and batteries. These internally powered wheels are designed
to
add to rather than replace the physical effort of the driver.
In effect,
they increase the number of revolutions the wheel makes with
just one push on the rim. The goal is to supplement manual
propulsion
by proving, longer rolls per push, increased speed and hill-climbing
capacity with the same, or even lower, level of user effort,.
Add-On Power
Mobility
Add-on power
systems are designed to give power chair operation when mounted
onto a manual wheelchair base. With their
quick-release
mounting
hardware, these add-on power systems make the overall system
more easily transportable than traditional power chairs.
However, they
do not match the performance or durability of traditional
power chairs.
Use of Gyroscopes
for Balancing While Driving
A new multi-function
power chair, by the trade name IBOT™ uses
gyroscopes to mimic the balance reactions of the inner
ear. The interaction of the gyroscopes and wheel clusters provide
unique driving options – driving
on two wheels while at the height of a walking companion,
obstacle climbing (up to 5” curbs) with 4 wheel drive
and even the ability to climb stairs, using the hand rail for
leverage
to control the
rotation of the wheel cluster to step up from stair
to stair. The IBOT™ is complex in terms of technology
and the necessary user behaviors; it is not suitable for all
wheelchair
riders, but
for
many, this integrated, multi-function device provides
new power mobility options with many fewer compromises than
in traditional
power chairs.
The Internet
has opened a great opportunity for product exploration before
ever going to a wheelchair clinic
or a durable medical
equipment store showroom. Each manufacturer has a
website describing its own
product line.
Major manufacturers
include:
Other valuable resources include:
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