Wheelchairs can open the door to mobility and independence—quite the opposite of what is implied in such common expressions as "confined to a wheelchair" or "wheelchair-bound." Even prosthesis users sometimes prefer to use a wheelchair part time when they become fatigued or their residual limb hurts. Now there is an abundance of options that can take users up and down stairs, over rough, uneven terrain, to the beach, to the mountains—almost anywhere they want to go to enjoy the outdoors or navigate more efficiently. Here are just a few of them.
De-Bug
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| De-Bug |
De-Bug, by Deming Designs, Pensacola, Florida, (www.beachwheelchair.com) is the brainchild of Mike Deming, who was inspired to create it after his wife, Karen, was badly injured in 1990. Living close to the beach, the Demings wanted to be able to enjoy it, so Mike built a prototype. As they tested it, people saw it, and so many wanted one that the Demings decided to start their business, Karen says.
The designs include an all-terrain stainless-steel model and a stainless steel Beach Walker. Features and options include custom ratcheting self-propulsion, best suited for paraplegics with a high level of upper-body strength; interchangeable pool wheels; a two-piece "sunbrella;" custom headrest; and drink and fishing-pole holders.
Future plans include an electric model, according to Karen.
Challenger 4x4
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| Challenger 4x4 |
The inventors of the Challenger 4x4 (www.allterrain4x4wheelchairs.co.uk) worked with a pool of individuals from the Far East before coming up with its design. Made in the United Kingdom, the Challenger 4x4 is a powered four-wheel-drive wheelchair suitable for all-terrain, off-road, stair-climbing, and beach use. Challenger 4x4's Simon Blewett says the wheelchair is the first in the world to use silicone batteries. "Standard batteries usually last a year, but silicone batteries last up to five, which is more economical and better for the environment," Blewett says. The company offers free worldwide shipping and has plans to open dealerships across the United States soon. The company is also hoping to launch a new urban-terrain wheelchair along with a range of pediatric wheelchairs.
TankChair
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| TankChair |
Like the De-Bug, the TankChair, Phoenix, Arizona (www.tankchair.com), also was born from a husband wanting to help his wife after a major injury left her disabled. Liz and Brad Soden, along with their blended family of five children, are outdoor enthusiasts, but after Liz's back was broken in a car crash, doctors told her she would never walk again. Brad Soden wanted to enable his wife to be more than simply a bystander on camping trips and other outings, and after much effort, he created the TankChair. The chair uses tank tracks and "conquers streams, mud, snow, sand, and gravel," according to its website.
TREKINETIC K-2
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| TREKINETIC K-2 |
Mike Spindle, a Formula One racecar-component manufacturer in the United Kingdom, designed the TREKINETIC K-2 (www.trekinetic.com), which features a triaxial design with two wheels in front and a large rear caster. Believed to be the world's first production monocoque wheelchair, the chair doesn't use a tubular metal chassis, but rather a strong, carbon-fiber seat shell to which components are attached. The front-wheel drive makes the chair easier to push; the anatomically curved seat provides more comfort and more even distribution of pressure; a nitrogen shock absorber provides a smoother ride. "The main benefit of the K-2 is its unmatched all-terrain ability, contained in a compact foldable package that's comfortable enough for a primary everyday chair," Spindle says. "That means they can go almost anywhere a mountain bike can go—and without planning ahead."
Spindle adds, "One of the unique points about TREKINETIC as a wheelchair manufacturer is that we make nearly all our own components from scratch. This is not the best way to make money, but it does mean that we can optimize them perfectly."
Among other awards, the TREKINETIC K-2 was a 2007 Frost & Sullivan European Product Innovation award winner. Spindle says that they are currently exploring options to make the chair more easily available in North America. The TREKINETIC K-2 is currently in use in about 15 other countries, he adds.
TopChair
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| TopChair |
Ready now for commercialization, the TopChair® (www.topchair.net), developed by French scientist and engineer Hervé le Masne, can ascend and descend stairs. A 2008 Frost & Sullivan Award winner, the TopChair automatically detects the first step with infrared sensors and then detects the last step as it retracts its built-in climbing mechanism.
An independent study, "Evaluation of a Stair-Climbing Power Wheelchair in 25 People with Tetraplegia," by Isabelle Laffont, MD, PhD, et al., published in the Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, October 2008, concludes, "The TopChair is a promising mobility device that enables stair and curb climbing and warrants further study."
In Development: Voice Recognition
Imagine saying to a wheelchair, "Take me to my room" or "take me to the coffee machine," and away it goes—no further action on your part required. Scientists and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, are developing a robotic wheelchair to aid disabled persons with good cognitive function but highly limited mobility.
The chair uses voice recognition and wireless technology to create an internal computer map as it is taken along a predetermined route with key points identified, such as saying "this is the nurse's station." After the chair "knows its way around," a user can give the chair verbal instructions.
Currently, the researchers are gathering information on how nursing-home wheelchair users actually use their chairs. "We're still trying to understand what the needs are," says Nicholas Roy, PhD, assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics and co-developer of the wheelchair. "There haven't been many systematic evaluations of cutting-edge technology in terms of interface and performance needs and how the technology would be used."
The researchers are working to develop the robotic chair/user interface. "Although it is a sophisticated technology, it has to be easy to use," Roy notes. "Persons with a lot of health issues don't want to have to learn how to use a complex piece of technology."
A big challenge is a non-technological one—cost. "Some of the technologies we'd like to take advantage of are simply out of scope in terms of expense," Roy says. "We need to do this cheaply and efficiently enough so that users, or their insurance companies, can pay for it."
Also collaborating on the project are Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at MIT's AgeLab, and Seth Teller, professor of computer science and engineering and head of the Robotics, Vision, and Sensor Networks (RVSN) group at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).
These wheelchairs are just a sampling of what's commercially available and what is currently in development. Though the cost of these specialized chairs is substantially more than those of standard wheelchairs, for some, the price for expanded access is well worth the cost.
Editor's note: Space constraints do not allow us to provide a comprehensive listing of all wheelchairs currently on the market and in development. This article provides a representative sampling. The products described in this article are for informational purposes only. The O&P EDGE does not endorse any particular product or service.
Miki Fairley is a contributing editor for The O&P EDGE and a freelance writer based in southwest Colorado. She can be contacted via e-mail at