Electric Wheelchair

Did you know that the Electric Wheelchair was invented by George Klein to assist veterans during Word War 11? The earliest record of a wheelchair was found inscribed on a stone in China during the 6^th century.

The electric powered wheelchair is simply a mobility device in which the user sits and is propelled by an automated system using electricity to power the rear wheels, front wheels, centre wheels or all wheels. There is usually 4 or 5 amp rechargeable batteries driving the motor. These batteries will be available in wet or dry options, and the batteries are charged using a standard wall power outlet.

The controls are typically a joystick style operated by the hand but there are also chin controls and puff/sip scanners for those with C2-3 spinal cord damage or head injuries. With the puff/sip scanners the user blows into a tube near the mouth that controls the movement of the Electric Wheelchair.

There are many styles and designs that have particular handling characteristics suited to the user. Some look like manual chairs, where others will have a large captain chair that looks like a small version of a lounge chair called a lift chair. There are folding types usually with small power plants through to very large heavy duty four wheel drive tyres.

Depending on the individual operators needs, circumstances and including there environment the Electric Wheelchair can be custom designed for just indoor use, out door use or both. Custom built modes will usually be significantly more expensive to purchase than production models.