The first motorized electric wheelchair was created in 1916 but was not mass-produced. George Klein who was a Canadian inventor is credited with the first electric power wheelchair. He worked under the National Research Council of Canada whose main goal was to assist veterans after returning home from WW2.
What is a Power Wheelchair?
A power wheelchair boiled down to its most fundamental parts, is a wheelchair with a joystick, motor, and battery. It allows you to effortlessly travel without the assistance of another person to push you nor have you rely on your own strength to propel the wheelchair. There are various different types of electric wheelchairs which we will review in more thorough detail in another section. Each type thrives with certain use cases.
A power wheelchair differs from a traditional mobility scooter because you will only need one hand to operate a power wheelchair whereas, with an electric powered scooter, you generally need hands to safely operate it. With a power wheelchair, you may have the option to request the joystick be placed on the left or right armrest. This is helpful if you are left-handed and need the joystick to be on the left side. WE HAVE LEFT JOYSTICK BACKET.
The operation of a powered wheelchair is relatively simple. First, you will want to ensure that the unit is in drive mode. There is a lever that puts the wheelchair in neutral which allows you to push it should the battery die. However, the unit will not function in neutral mode even with a full battery.
First, you’ll want to make sure that the unit is charged. If you will travel long distances, then you will want to make sure that it is fully charged. This will help you ensure that you do not get caught or left with a dead unit and stuck. After you have ensured that it is ready for operation, you simply sit in the power wheelchair. Be sure to buckle up as many units will have a buckle that is used to safely strap you into the chair.
Once strapped in, you’ll want to turn the power wheelchair on. At this point, you can look at the joystick which will show you a battery range. If there are no issues, you’ll near no beeping sequences in most cases. Look at the speed modulator. You can reduce the unit's top speed by turning the knob on most power chairs.
A Brief Look at the History of Mobility Scooters
Mobility scooters have assisted millions of people to regain their independence. The first mobility scooter was created in 1968 by a plumber named Allan R Thieme in Bridgeport, Michigan. Despite the lack of modern battery technology, Mr. Thieme was able to have his scooter reach top speeds of 3 miles per hour. The name he gave to his creation was Amigo, a manufacturer that is still in business to this very day. Sales were initially slow as the market wasn’t quite sure if the device was needed and when it was needed. Lack of product knowledge hindered widespread adoption as physicians continued to write prescriptions for wheelchairs.
Mr. Thieme would be impressed at what would become the industry he started. Life expectancy has continued to increase since the invention of mobility scooters which has caused a boom in this medical product category. Several manufacturers have since been formed to create what they feel is the best product to assist those with disabilities.
What is a Mobility Scooter?
If you're just getting familiar with handicapped scooters for the first time, we'll explain what they are. Mobility scooters utilize either 3-wheels or 4-wheels along with a seat, frame, motor, battery, and a tiller to allow a user to effortlessly travel. It's like a one-person cart, that uses electromagnetic braking (also known as automatic brakes) so the user never actually needs to manually engage a brake lever. When the user is not using the throttle lever, the unit automatically brakes.
There are different categories of scooters just like there are different categories of cars. In the next section, we’ll review the different types of disability scooters. These products feature unique designs that don’t resemble a traditional wheelchair. They offer modern features such as suspension, and lighting, some have the ability to fold, and some have larger control panels.
The controls are placed in the center of the device, rather than off to the side with a joystick mechanism. Instead, you control your forward and reverse movements with a tiller similar to a bicycle steering wheel with only much smaller handlebars. Just like how on a bicycle, there are two levers above the main handlebars but they are used to go forward and back. This is how you tell the scooter what your intentions are, whether you wish to travel forward or in reverse. Finding the right mobility scooter for sale that matches your lifestyle doesn’t have to be a challenge.
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