Wijit by Superquad is a revolutionary driving and braking system for manual wheelchairs. It uses precision geared levers that amplify the user’s pushing power, while reducing strain on the user’s shoulders and upper body.
There are also some very cool features packed into this add-on that can go a long way in assisting those who are marginal wheelchair pushers or those who tire easily.
Here’s how it works. The driver lever acts to amplify the user’s pushing power for climbing hills, obstacles, rough uneven surfaces, and carpets. It also acts to make straight cruising easier while taking some of the demand off of the old shoulders. This is good old fashioned and reliable leverage.
The built in braking system works much the same way by increasing leverage and applying the force to a disc brake tucked neatly away in the systems hub. The combination of the leverage from its levers, together with the disc brake system, allows users to have a fine degree of steering control, with the power to stop immediately.
Wijit provides three modes of wheel engagement: Forward, neutral and reverse. These are controlled from the driver mode shifter on the top of the handle right where the users hand is.
There are also some freebie benefits that you can leverage. The leveraged propulsion generates less wear and tear on the shoulders. The Wijit’s lever drive system and gearing provides a mechanical advantage, allowing users to travel further with less effort. Hands are situated away form those nasty and dirty wheels. A user can sit upright and propel and steer a wheelchair. And, this gadget looks like it might be some real fun cruising with.
Born out of necessity, this wijit is the brainchild of Brian M. Watwood, a world-class athlete and professional skier. Brian was diagnosed as a C5 - C6 incomplete quadriplegic as the result of an accident and confined to a wheelchair he could not operate. The rest is easy to figure out.
What do I like about this gadget? Although it may look odd and certainly not what we are used to seeing on a manual wheelchair, it is nonetheless very real world. It’s as real as limited independence faced by manual wheelchair users who do not have the strength or endurance to adequately push a wheelchair. It’s as real as the fact that 35% to 70% of all long term manual wheelchairs will suffer shoulder injuries and pain related to pushing a wheelchair. Some will suffer these injuries multiple times and for some the injuries will result in chronic debilitation or pain. What did I say I liked? Oh yes, less injuries and more mobility. Not a bad deal.
This wheelchair was a real surprise. You would not expect ultralight sports wheelchair and powered wheelchair to be commingled in the same breath.
Aside from the occasional addition of a powered add-on system these two types of wheelchairs have traditionally been found on opposite ends of the wheelchair spectrum.
Kangan Roo Power Wheelchair is based around a standard TiLite titanium manual sports wheelchair frame with the addition of a three-wheeled power module. The unit allows for shortening of the wheelbase for indoor maneuverability, or electrically extending for outdoor cruising.
The Kangan Roo has a built in bag of tricks that are difficult to describe but can easily be understood if you view the product video.
There are a number of innovative features that challenge contemporary powered wheelchair design. The ability to shorten the wheelbase for use in tighter indoor areas results in placing the drive wheels forward on the wheelchair and improving manueverability. In indoor mode the chair takes on characteristics of a front wheel drive wheelchair. In the extended frame outdoor mode the chair offers greater stability and handles similar to a mid-wheel drive wheelchair.
Add to this the reliability and quick-charge capabilities of NIMH batteries, ability to climb 6" high obstacles, and generally lighter weight and improved looks.
Kangan Roo uses prototype hub motors with rare earth magnet motors supplied by collaborators CATEA of Georgia Tech in Atlanta USA and NiMH batteries (the same as used in electric vehicles) supplied by sponsor Cobasys of Michigan USA.
Thanks go to Colin Johanson of COOL Mobility for sending me the heads up on this wheelchair.
This isn’t your Sunday crank through Central Park in your handcycle.
"This year’s Sadler’s Ultra Challenge (July 15-21) — the oldest, toughest, and longest wheelchair and handcycle race in the world — will see a record 30 entrants head to Alaska to battle for 267 miles on roads conecting Fairbanks to Anchorage."
Sadler’s Ultra Challenge is a stage race. Wheelchair and Handcycle Participants compete in mass start road races or individual time trials within their appropriate class. The stage race is timed and the athlete with the lowest cumulative time in each class at the finish of the final stage is the winner.
This is not for the novice racer but you don’t have to be an elite world class racer either. You should be prepared and ready to hump over some serious miles and hardcore terrain. There’s $30,000.00 in prize money at the end of the road.
Those of you feeling up for it can still get in. There is still time to register. Go ahead, go for it! There’s no doubt in my mind that "you" can do it.
We reported on the Topchair back in September of 2005 when it was just out of development. It is now ready to climb into commercialization.
The Topchair is a stair climbing and obstacle climbing powered wheelchair designed by French engineer Hervé le Masne. The wheelchair has four wheels for rolling over normal terrain and two rubber tracks for climbing stairs and other obstacles.
Some of the cool features that have been incorporated into the Topchair.
Infrared sensors detect the presence of stairs and deploy the tracks.
The seat is always maintained in a horizontal position.
TopChair can climb up 300 stairs and climb down more than 1000 stairs.
It can climb curbs and stairs up to 20 cm (8″).
Top speed in road mode (wheels) is around 5.7mph. Running on tracks slows things down to .43 mph. That’s fast enough for stairs anyway.
Remember, Topchair is in the commercialization stage so don’t run out and try to buy one yet. If it can muster enough investors and dealers you may get your chance. In the meantime- Watch those steps. Their killers!
This wheelchair is a joy to look at. The WizzyBug is an early powered mobility device or "first wheels" for kids. It is tricked out just for the little ones and is very obviously aimed at letting kids be kids.
The WizzyBug was designed by Bath Institute of Medical Engineering in the United Kingdom. BIME is a design and development charity working in the fields of medicine, health care and assistive technology for disabled people.
"Wizzybug is a powered vehicle for disabled children to experience early years mobility. It has a range of controls and seating adjustments and can be used with close adult supervision indoors and out of doors in accessible areas such as level gardens, playgrounds and parks enabling children to have a fun experience with their "First Wheels."
Some WizzyBug specs:
Suitable for children aged between 2 - 5 years (maximum user weight 20kg)
Suitable for use under adult supervision indoors and outdoors
Easily transportabled - dismantles quickly
Programmable Dynamics control system: options for joystick, carer control and specialist switches.
Unique adjustable seating system - no tools required for adjustment.
Memory foam cushions giving good comfort and support.
Product details as well as images and a video can be found on the WizzyBug web site.
Evacuation of people with disabilities from a structure or a facility is a challenging but sometimes neccessary undertaking. It is especially challenging when elevators are out of commission and the only alternative is use of stairways.
The StairbustA was designed to allow transport of people with disabilities both in a lying down position or in a sitting position.
Student Edwin Yau, a University of Technology (Sidney), student earned a Dyson Design Award for design of this unique evacuation system.
"The StairbustA is an unique product that allows a single user to rapidly transfer a non-ambulant elderly or disabled person down a flight of stairs and over harsh terrain in an emergency situation, without compromising the safety and wellbeing of the evacuee. The StairbustA is unique in that it is able to transform from a "stretcher" position to a "chair" position due to the integration of a two-way hydraulic actuator and a clever pin-catch adjustment system. This ability to transform makes the StairbustA unlike any other product currently available on the market."
" The key to the StairbustA’s innovative ability to conquer stairs lies in the tri-wheel assembly which allows for smooth movement of travel over stairs and other harsh terrain surfaces. This feature is successfully used in existing cargo trolleys and other stair-climbing devices."
The Gryphon Shield™ enables safe driving with a rearview monitor system, computing technology and lights combined into a stylish, modular package mountable on any personal electric vehicle (motorized wheelchair or mobility scooter).
The Gryphon Shield is the brainchild of Jesse Leaman of the Leaman Potential Foundation, a nonprofit organization, based in Berkeley, California. The foundation is dedicated to enabling human evolution through adaptive technology, assisted-living, and educational resources.
Art is where you find it. For some of us it’s on the walls of museums, walls of homes, or almost everywhere in nature.
Art can also be found in some unlikely places like spinning along on the rear wheels of a wheelchair. Many wheelies have taken to tricking out there wheelchairs with a bit of art.
Whether it’s a personal statement or just for the heck of it, spokeguards are one of the coolist and least expensive mods available.
Spoke guards were originally homemade by wheelchair athletes who used them to protect their spokes and wheels from impact damage during games.
The guards then moved on and were used to protect the fingers of wheelchair users who had no hand sensation and might get their fingers caught up in the wheelchair spokes while pushing.
Now they are also used as art or to make a personal statement of almost every kind. They are a great palette to work on.
