Designers Do It For Disability – Segway Based Wheelchairs

Update 2017: The Ogo is now in production, $16,995 is the cost and you can buy by following this link. Good to see such developments. However, the innovative segway based Genny that we reviewed previously is no longer in production. Here’s what the UK distributor says:

“We still sell brand new Genny units however Genny in Italy have gone into administration. We are working to restart the company, but right now there is no parent company. We do sell another product called GOING which is the original version of Genny.   It’s on our website – www.2020mobility.com .”

A shame but let’s hope they succeed in its resurrection. In the meantime the Whill (see below) can now be purchased in the UK at TGA Mobility. we’ve requested a trial and we’ll report back on its usability. It costs around £12k and is known as a PEV (Personal Electric Vehicle).

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Here’s another designer who built a ‘Segway’ based wheelchair in his shed for a paraplegic friend. The Ogo by Kevin Halsall, looks great but will it ever be produced?

 

It’s called the Ogo and has a ‘moving seat control installed’. Halsall realises tat

“Mastering a Segway can be a challenge – the devices operated by leaning on the handlebars to steer, and transferring weight back and forwards for accelerating and breaking. The moving seat made the acceleration and braking more responsive to movements from the rider’s core muscles”.

However, I along with others couldn’t use unless it supported my core with side arms. It a also assumes you have control over your core body movements to change direction – ??? It accelerates while leaning forward and brakes while leaning back. Not sure I’d be safe with that control but we will investigate and report back……..

It looks similar to the Whill chair which has been produced in the U.S.A. and is now available for purchase there (not UK yet – but we’re hopeful). Their mission was to

“make technology that is minimalistic, functional and stylish. We intend to fundamentally change the attitudes of personal mobility users, as well as the general perceptions of personal mobility”.

I think they achieved that if you see their video, I know some able bodied people who would like one.

 

The Whill also requires some core stability but I do like their 4 Wheel Drive capability for the front wheels that enables, ” faster, effortless manoeuvrability in tight spaces and varied terrain”. Maybe this could be used for manual wheelchairs in some way??

 

Both of these wheelchairs are battery operated so weight and maximum charge distance are key. The Whill weighs 283lb and has a range of 10.6 miles. The Ogo has a range of 40 Km and weight is unkown.

We like both of these and we know of other products using the same ‘Segway-like’ features, are coming soon …Keep in touch and we’ll tell you more as things develop…………..