Hello All:

Just an update to what I had posted earlier RE: my Wheelchair Evaluation.  I was asked to update you regarding the testing I have done with a Kuchall Chair (from Sweden) mounted with E-Motion Wheels.

BACKGROUND

I’ve had a Quickie 2 Manual Wheelchair for about 8 years.  I had injured my shoulder in 2005-2006, so I was experiencing pain, and I think it was due to overuse.  Two or so months ago, I started the process to get me a new chair, after I reported that my seat cushion and chair were showing their age.  During the Wheelchair Evaluation, I was told about “Power assisted Wheels.  I was asked to TRY them and then if I liked them, I could possibly get these, which could help reduce shoulder strain and strain on my arms, back and other body parts.  Here is my report

I have been testing this chair for approximately 2 ˝-3 weeks.  The Wheels are mounted to an Ultra-Lite chair, with 24” rear spoked wheels.  The front wheels on this chair are 2-3” in size, so they are quite small, and can get caught in holes and other obstacles you encounter.  The chair is REALLY light, so the Vendor had to adjust the sensitivity of the wheels so that I can easily and safely move the chair without causing injury to myself.

OPERATION:  Chair is operated by pressing the buttons on the hub of each wheel.  Press them both once to turn the chair ON, then again to turn the chair OFF.  You will hear a BEEP, followed by ONE BEEP or TWO BEEPS.  ONE BEEP means “INDOOR Mode” and TWO BEEPS means “OUTDOOR Mode”.  There are 3 buttons on each wheel  - The Power Button, (On Each hub in the Center) The Battery Charge Level Indicator Button  (to the Left or Right of the Power Button, depending on the wheel position, on the Dark Gray portion of the wheel), and the Mode Button (On the outside of the light gray portion of the wheel).  Pressing this button changes the mode.  You turn The chair OFF by pressing the buttons in the center of the wheel hub and when it is off, you hear a “Chirp”

Note, that when you power the wheels OFF you can still move the chair, but it will be harder then if you had the wheels powered up, but not as hard as to push a manual chair.

Once you select to power the wheels on, you can then adjust the sensitivity of the handrim’s sensors for each wheel (This is something that should be done by the vendor as he is watching you maneuver the chair.)  Once he shows you how to do this, and explains the settings, you should be able to understand the way it works, and can adjust it as needed.

CONTROL:  Controlling these wheels takes a little practice and it took me about 2-3 days to get used to the way it moved around.  This chair, being a demo chair had NO seatbelt, so I had to be extra careful when moving around.  The wheels are adjustable for the user and can allow for differing arm strength and abilities.  Each person using this chair should realize that you DO NOT have to push as HARD with the Emotion wheels as you would have to if you were using a manual chair.  You can control the speed of the chair on a downgrade, such as a wheelchair ramp or small hill by either lightly holding the handrims as you decend the downgrade, or by simply lightly hitting the handrim with your hands as you decend.

E-MOTION TESTS

INDOOR CHAIR TEST: NO POWER TO EMOTION WHEELS:  Doing this test was a no-brainer for me:  The chair is a tad hard to push, but no harder then to push a manual chair.  This would be a plus, because you don’t have to worry about the chair being hard to maneuver if power is off, or battery is low or dead.  I was able to maneuver throughout my building quite well, including the ramp that I have to acend to get to my apartment (Less then 15 degrees)

INDOOR CHAIR TEST: POWER APPLIED TO EMOTION WHEELS (INDOOR MODE):  Indoor mode tests included me going up and down the hallway in my building, going up and down the ramp, and testing the responsiveness of the chair as I pushed myself through the building.  Indoor Mode allows the user to push the chair as much as they need, but you have to push it more frequently, because you don’t have as much assistance, and the push does not go as far as in Outdoor Mode.(1 Push = ˝ a revolution or so in this mode)

INDOOR CHAIR TEST: POWER APPLIED TO EMOTION WHEELS (OUTDOOR MODE):  I performed the same tests in OUTDOOR Mode to determine the difference, and WHAT a difference.  Chair was turning and stopping on a DIME, and when pushing with my arms, I was getting 2 ˝ revolutions of the wheels for each cycle with my arms.  INCREDIBLE, and awesome, because I was NOT tired.  However, I must WARN you that this chair is an UltraLite, and as such, when you take off, you can and I DID pop a wheelie, and this is why the antitippers are REQUIRED for this wheel package.  I was even riding the tippers for 2 ˝ feet before coming down and to a stop.  Outdoor Mode does hold the power longer, which means that you get more revolutions (1 push = to 2 ˝ revolutions or so in this mode.)  Chair responds quicker in this mode, and has more speed.

OUTDOOR CHAIR TEST: NO POWER APPLIED TO EMOTION WHEELS):  Doing this test was about the same as you would expect for the Indoor Test, same results.

OUTDOOR CHAIR TEST: POWER APPLIED TO EMOTION WHEELS (INDOOR MODE):  Tests in This mode were similar:  I went Up and Down a 15 degree access ramp outside my building and went from my driveway to the bus stop in this mode.  Only problem I had was that I had to be extra careful of deteriorating sidewalks, potholes and bumps.   I quickly realized that I could handle this mode outside, so I went to the Next Test.

OUTDOOR CHAIR TEST: POWER APPLIED TO EMOTION WHEELS (OUTDOOR MODE):  Boarded a Public Bus and had to power the wheels down when on the ramp.  Once at my destination, I powered up the wheels, changed the mode, and away I went.  Be sure to keep your hands close by the rims in case you have to stop or slow down, as the Outdoor Mode is faster, and more sensitive.  Also, when moving from a stopped position, you should be aware of the fact that the chair I used also like to do a wheelie, so you have to lean forward just a little to give it some weight to counteract the wheelie.  I estimated that I had given about 20 revolutions with my arms, so it took me 10 minutes less to get to my destination when using the chair in this mode.  I also went up and down a steep driveway in seconds in this mode, and I was NOT hurting afterwards.  Users should keep BOTH hands on the wheels when in this mode, so you can STOP or TURN if necessary in an emergency situation.

It is important to note that you should ALWAYS POWER OFF THE WHEELS when sitting still, Transferring from or to the chair, or on Public Transit.  This will make sure you don’t run out of power and end up dead somewhere when you need the power.  Do Not just rely on your Wheel Locks (Brakes) to stop and hold the chair, as touching the rim or pushing it can make it MOVE.

BATTERY LIFE:  Seems to do OK – I charged it once a night, and I could go a whole day without too much difficulty

CHARGER AND CHARGE CYCLE:    8 HOURS USING AN EXTERNAL PLUG IN CHARGER

BATTERY LOCATION:  Batteries are IN the wheels as are the Charge Ports.

RESULTS:  Will Inform Vendor and PT that I WANT the comparable wheels for the Q2 series of chairs:  Was told that if the PT says “Yes” that My Doctor would APPROVE the Script for the chair, stating med. Necessity for the Extenders – Now, to see what Medicare says.

I was told that the EMOTION Wheels are very similar to the Quickie Extenders.  The only difference is that the Emotion Wheels can be placed on ANY manual chair frame, while Extenders are a quickie product which is specifically for a Quickie 2 chair.  Since I own a Quickie 2 and like that chair, I will have these ordered.  That way, I can order the chair I want, add my crutch holder, and seatbelt and other options and go with it.  I will make DARN SURE that the cushion I sit on is really comfy too – This test chair helped my back SO MUCH!!!

Buddy