Getting around in a wheelchair can be quite a challenging proposition, especially when the proper infrastructure is not in place. Those who can afford lighter wheelchairs that are more nimble will definitely be less tired after pushing themselves around for some time, but ROTA Mobility intends to change things with the RoChair, an invention that is rowed by pushing and pulling on a front-and-center-mounted lever.
The ROTA powertrain will harness the linear back-and-forth motion of the lever, converting this energy into unidirectional rotary output. Depending on the gear you choose, one push-pull of the lever is able to be translated into as many as two wheel revolutions, how is that for efficiency? In order to steer, you just turn the adjustable-length lever to the left or right, and if you need some serious stopping power after being overzealous in tearing down the street in the RoChair, the handlebar-mounted brake levers will kick in the wheelchair’s dual disc brakes.
You will be able to select from up to 8 gears, as it really depends on the kind of terrain that you’re going to tackle. The RoChair is not going to come cheap though, retailing for $4,980 a pop.
Filed in . Read more about Wheelchair.