Wheelchair

April 20, 2006 Technology is beginning to yield many new and wonderous devices to make life better, safer and more fun, but few can compare to the life-enhancement offered by a new wheelchair which offers mobility-impaired and aged people an unprecedented level of freedom. It is comfortable, all-terrain and safe - a four-wheel drive wheelchair with hybrid motor and electronic assistance system has the immense potential to enable the physically disabled live more independent lives, to enable Octagenarians to bushwalk, and paraplegics . The innovative system even checks pulse rate and blood values and calls for help in emergencies. Read More

January 19, 2006 It is estimated that there are more than 100 million people in the world who need a wheelchair but cannot afford one. Mechanical engineer Don Schoendorfer had a secure, highly-paid job when he decided he could make a difference during his short stay on the planet, forsaking his job and embarking on a quest to help all those people. Don’s goal is to distribute 20 million of the pictured wheelchairs by the year 2010. Don set up the Free Wheelchair Mission in California in 2001 as non-profit organization committed to providing the gift of mobility to the physically disabled poor in developing countries and has just manufactured its 100,000th wheelchair. The central seat is a plastic garden chair – the use of existing parts enables the wheelchair to be manufactured in China, shipped in knockdown form via container, assembled and delivered to needy people all over the world for a total factory-to-field price of US$44.40. The Free Wheelchair Mission creatively partners with like-minded international humanitarian and indigenous organizations and it also accepts donations. Just think how much difference US$44.40 can make to the life of one human being. Read More

August 5, 2005 Dean Kamen is best known for Project ginger and the Segway but to many people on the planet his most significant contribution has been the iBOT Mobility System which was introduced in 2003 – using a unique combination of electronics, sensors and software, the iBOT allows users to raise themselves to eye level, climb stairs and gives people with disabilities a greater sense of independence and freedom to go where they want to go. This week Independence Technology, the company that manufactures and markets the iBot, introduced the next generation of the revolutionary mobility system - the iBOT 4000 offers a number of significant enhancements over the original iBOT 3000 model. Read More

November 5, 2004 An innovative design has been fused with modern technologies and contemporary aesthetics in the Chunc Junior, a manual attendant controlled paediatric wheelchair for children and young adults with moderate to profound disability.

Mobility products makers Chunc designed the Chunc Junior in conjunction with a clients and healthcare professionals to take into account the users needs as well as the impact of the wheelchair on those it comes into contact with. The wheelchair has been designed for both indoor and outdoor use, but not specifically for rough terrain, so care should be taken when operating in extreme environments. Read More