Electric wheelchairs study

These can be a life saver or a total liability.

We, at Access4all , have had extensive tests carried out on many different types of powered wheelchair. The evaluation of the safety and durability of low-cost non programmable electric powered wheelchairs, hinge on what you actually need the chair for. Do you intend to do a fare proportion of time ‘offroading’, for the more active among us, or is it just a means to transport you from one place to another with the minimum of pain and stress.

The objective of the study was to evaluate whether a selection of low-cost, non programmable electric-power wheelchairs (EPWs) and power wheelchairs meets the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Wheelchair Standards requirements. DESIGN: Objective comparison tests of various aspects of power wheelchair design and performance of 4 EPW types. SPECIMENS: Three of each of the following EPWs: Pride Mobility Jet 10 (Pride), Invacare Pronto M50 (Invacare), Electric Mobility Rascal 250PC (Electric Mobility), and the Golden Technologies Alant GP-201-F (Golden). SETTING: Rehabilitation engineering research centre. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Static tipping angle; dynamic tipping score; braking distance; energy consumption; climatic conditioning; power and control systems integrity and safety; and static, impact, and fatigue life (equivalent cycles).

Electric wheelchairs from more than mobility

RESULTS: Static tipping angle and dynamic tipping score were significantly different across manufacturers for each tipping direction (range, 6.6 degrees-35.6 degrees). Braking distances were significantly different across manufacturers (range, 7.4-117.3 cm). Significant differences among groups were found with analysis of variance (ANOVA). Energy consumption results show that all EPWs can travel over 17 km before the battery is expected to be exhausted under idealised conditions (range, 18.2-32.0 km). Significant differences among groups were found with ANOVA. All EPWs passed the climatic conditioning tests. Several adverse responses were found during the power and control systems testing, including motors smoking during the stalling condition (Electric Mobility), charger safety issues (Electric Mobility, Invacare), and controller failures (Golden). All EPWs passed static and impact testing; 9 of 12 failed fatigue testing (3 Invacare, 3 Golden, 1 Electric Mobility, 2 Pride). Equivalent cycles did not differ statistically across manufacturers (range, 9759-824,628 cycles). to static tipping, power and control system failures, and fatigue life suggest design improvements must be made to make these low-cost, non programmable EPWs safe and reliable for the consumer. Based on our results, these EPWs do not, in general, meet the ANSI/RESNA Wheelchair Standards requirements.

In conclusion, we at Access4all, have no favourite wheelchair. Like most things, it all comes down to the question of “How deep is your pocket?”

Please do not hesitate to contact us at Access4all and we will be only too happy to discuss your needs and requirements with you and put a realistic and affordable package to meet your desires and depth of liquid assets. Even in these incredible hard times of ‘financial down turn’, there is usually an answer to help, somewhere out there.

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Source: http://www.access4all.me.uk/