To power or not to power? The cost of a powered wheelchair? What about those folks who need a power wheelchair but only occasionally, or those who need to give those aching shoulders a break from pushing a wheelchair?

Those questions have been around about as long as powered wheelchairs have been around. In more recent times, the questions have been answered by use of a powered add-on system. That’s a set of motors, controls, and batteries that can quickly and easily be mounted to a manual wheelchair for powering up.

Here’s a new concept entry in the field of wheelchair power add-ons. The NEWS, it’s a concept developed by designer Ju Hyun Lee. The logic behind the strange design is basic- On demand power by means of bellying up to a parked NEWS, hooking up, and taking off.

You can certainly envision banks of these devices located in places where the need for temporary power might be greatest. Places like hospitals, nursing homes, amusement parks, malls or even sitting in a corner of your garage or hallway.

The NEWS can be swung down on the wheelchair to allow access and egress to the chair and it is controlled by a conventional joystick.

An interesting concept, but still a concept.